Pokémon Dimensions
by gocubs711
Summary: Join Matt, a Pokémon trainer and his cousin Tyler, a man a quest to learn all he can about legendary Pokémon as they travel throughout the Sinnoh region, facing gyms, rivals, and the evil Team Revenant. But Revenant has a secret weapon no trainer can defeat. Matt will face a challenge that will put he and his Pokémon to the test. Will he succeed? Find out in Pokémon Dimensions!
1. Episode 1: A New Journey

The sun beat down on young Alex Cordia as he hid in the grass, waiting for a Pokémon to come by. He wanted one so badly, but his parents keep telling him the same thing. "You're too young for a Pokémon, Alex," They'd say. But Alex didn't care. He was going to catch one with his bare hands!

He heard a rustle to his left. He dove into the grass. Starly flew in all directions, scaring Alex and causing him to fall into the grass. Right in front of him was a Shinx. _Perfect!_ Alex thought. "I've caught you, Shinx! I'm your trainer now!" Alex picked up the Electric-Type with glee. The startled Shinx responded with an electric shock. Alex dropped the small Pokémon and it ran off.

"Aw! I'll never get a Pokémon!" Dismayed, Alex made his way back to the house.

"Oh, hey Alex, what are you doing out here?"

Alex looked up and saw his brother, Matt. Alex responded sheepishly, "I want a Pokémon so badly! But I can never get one!"

Matt laughed, and rustled his younger brother's hair. "You know you're too young for a Pokémon, Alex."

"I know, but YOU'RE getting one today! And I can take good care of one, I promise!"

"I believe you, bud. In a few years, you'll have one all to yourself!"

Alex looked up at his older brother. "You're right, Matt! I'll get a Pokémon then and then I'll get strong and then we can battle!"

Matt nodded. "Now head on home, Alex. You know being in the tall grass alone is dangerous."

Alex sulked. "Can I at least come with you to Professor Rowan's Lab?"

"I don't see why not." Matt smiled. "Tyler's coming to pick me up around here; it's a long way to walk to Sandgem Town."

Almost as if on cue, a small car drove up to the two brothers, who were standing just outside their hometown Oreburgh City. The window was rolled down revealing a young man with long, dark red hair. "Hey Matt, are you ready to go?"

"Sure am, Tyler!" Matt had an excited gleam in his eyes. "Hey, is it ok if Alex comes with me? He's been really excited about this."

Alex looked up at Tyler. "Please? I promise I'll be good!"

Tyler chuckled. "Come on in, Alex!"

Matt opened the door for his brother, who excitedly got into the car, followed by Matt, who was just as excited. He was about to get his first Pokémon! Matt had been looking forward to this day for so long. Usually kids got their first Pokémon at 10, but Matt's parents made him go to school in Jubilife, one town over, for a few more years before Matt to make sure he was ready for a long journey. He didn't really understand, though, why did he have to keep going to school? Looking out the window, seeing a flock of Staravia flying through the sky, however, he didn't care. His first Pokémon was a mere fifteen minutes away.

Tyler saw the gleam in his cousin's eyes from the driver's seat. At 22, Tyler had already done it all: travelled the region, defeated gym leaders, and seen all sorts of Pokémon. He was excited for Matt, too, and he couldn't wait to see which starter Matt chose. A short drive later and Tyler was pulling up to Professor Rowan's lab.

The car door opened immediately. Matt, followed closely by Alex, bolted outside and up to the lab, ringing the doorbell. Tyler joined them as the lab's doors opened to reveal an old gentleman in a white lab coat. "Why you must be Matt! It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in. I'll be with you shortly."

Matt nodded and the three followed the professor inside. Rowan walked into another room. Matt heard him say, "Now that you're all registered as a trainer, the final thing to do is to pick your Pokémon! A lot has changed over the years. It used to be, you could only choose between Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup. However, with this new trainer program in place where some children are choosing their Pokémon at thirteen, we professors decided to add something to make up for your journey starting late. So unless you'd prefer one of these three, I'm going to let you pick a starter from any region you'd like!"

"Wow, really?" Matt heard a boy around his age say. He swore he sounded familiar. The rest of the conversation was muffled, but a few minutes later, the new trainer appeared at the door. Matt stood up, recognizing his friend from trainer school. "Ricky?"

Ricky turned. "Matt! I just got a Pokémon!" Excitedly, Matt's friend released an orange lizard. "Charmander!" the little Pokémon cried. "Isn't she awesome?"

"She sure is. I'm about to get a Pokémon of my own, too!"

"Well, you know what that means, right?" Ricky said, a competitive, but friendly glare forming on his face. "We're rivals now." The Charmander copied Ricky's pose and facial expression.

"Wow, you two look like you're made for each other. I'll be seeing you around, man. And good luck on your journey!"

Ricky nodded. "Let's go, Charmander!" Charmander leapt onto Ricky's shoulder. The two new trainers waved goodbye to each other as Ricky left. Matt and Ricky had been going to school with each other since they were ten, the age most trainers leave for their journey. At thirteen, they both finally got their chance. And Matt was going to make sure his journey was the best experience of his life.

Professor Rowan came into the waiting room. "It's time for you to choose your Pokémon, Matt!"

In the room, Rowan placed a set of three Pokéballs on the table. "Your first step, Matt is to choose your partner that will accompany you throughout your journey. You may have heard me say this to the last trainer that was here, but the other Pokémon professors and I decided to implement a program to compensate for some trainers starting later than others. You, Matt, have the choice of starter from any of the world's five regions!" Sections of the table opened up around the first set of Pokéballs, revealing fifteen in total!

Matt stared at the Pokéballs in awe. Which one was he going to pick? There were so many. Seeing his surprise, Rowan asked, "Would you like to see them all?" Matt nodded, and Rowan released them. A myriad of green, orange, yellow, and blue Pokémon alike appeared before him, all looking up in anticipation.

However, one Pokémon met Matt's eyes: a Torchic. Matt smiled, and picked up the orange chick. "I choose you." It was cheesy, but Matt couldn't help it; he was too excited!

Rowan smiled. "Excellent choice. Now all that's left is to register you as a Sinnoh region trainer! Follow me over here." Matt obliged, watching all of the Pokémon return to their Pokéballs.

"Don't worry," Matt said quietly to the other Pokémon. "You'll all find a trainer some day." He swore he saw a few of the Pokémon with a smile on them.

Matt met Professor Rowan at a PC. "Now, place your Torchic's Pokéball on the scanner and enter your trainer information into the PC." Matt placed his new Pokémon's ball down and looked at the computer screen. It read:

Name:

Hometown:

Starter Pokémon:

Pokédex color:

Matt quickly filled out the form, eager to get started on his journey.

Name: Matt Cordia

Hometown: Oreburgh City

Starter Pokémon: Torchic

Pokédex color: Red

Rowan smiled. "Excellent." The computer whirred as a light emerged around Torchic's Pokéball. Two slots in the computer opened. Out of the smaller came Matt's trainer card, identifying him as an official Sinnoh trainer. Out of the larger: a brand new Pokédex. Matt took the two in glee. "Now, I imagine you'd like a badge case to hold the many badges I'm sure you'll get throughout your travels." Matt nodded, and Rowan handed him a black and red badge case. "Well, there you have it, you're all set! Thanks for coming today, Matt. I wish you well in your travels!"

"Thanks Professor," Matt said, staring at his Torchic's Pokéball. He left the room and immediately got knocked to the ground by his little brother. "Which Pokémon did you get, Matt?! Is it Piplup? Is it Snivy? Is it a Cyndaquil?!"

"Let me up and I'll show you, Alex." Matt laughed as his brother got up quickly. He released his new Torchic.

"Torchic!" The fire-type cried, greeting Matt's younger brother. Alex stared at it in awe.

"Hey, Matt, can I ask you something real quick?" Matt turned and saw Tyler.

"Sure, what's up?"

"This is your journey, so I don't want to impose on you, but…can I travel with you? I haven't traveled in such a long time. But I don't want to be just a trainer collecting gym badges. My dream in life is to be a Master of Legendaries, learning all I can about the legendary Pokémon all around Sinnoh!"

"That sounds like a great idea, Tyler! Of course you can come with."

Tyler smiled. "Of course, it is your journey. So it's your path to choose, cousin."

Matt nodded, and went back over to return his Torchic to his Pokéball, much to Alex's dismay.

"Excuse me, Tyler, but did I hear you say you wanted to research Legendary Pokémon?" Professor Rowan appeared at the door. "If I may ask you a favor, I have been looking for an assistant that specializes in legendaries for a while. May I ask you to find out as much as you can about these great creatures, and when you're done, I'll have a job for you here at my laboratory?"

Tyler's eyes widened. "I would love to, professor!"

"Great! I wish you both well. Goodbye now!"

As Matt rode back to Oreburgh with Tyler and Alex, thoughts filled his mind about the journey ahead of him-a journey sure to be filled with adventure, victory, and growing close with his new Torchic and the many Pokémon he'll catch along the way. And with his cousin Tyler coming with him to learn as much as he can about legendaries, it's sure to bring something interesting. Where will Matt go? Which Pokémon will he catch? Find out in the next episode of Pokémon Dimensions!


	2. Episode 2: A Fiery Fight

Episode 2: "A Fiery Fight"

The next morning the light shone through Matt Cordia's window. The second it reached his eyes, he jumped up and out of bed, eager to begin his journey. Since he was 10, Matt had his trainer outfit planned out. A red pair of pants with white stripes on the sides was combined with white sneakers. A red jacket lay over a black t-shirt, something important for Sinnoh's cold weather. Matt dawned a belt with six spots for Pokéballs. At the moment, only one was filled: Matt's Torchic. He was determined to fill them all. The final touch was the hat Matt's father gave him: a simple red hat with a blue Pokéball design on it: the only different color in Matt's outfit. He looked in the mirror and nodded. His journey was just about to begin. And he couldn't wait any more.

Tyler has slept the night at Matt's house, and as soon as Matt got downstairs, Tyler was ready to go to. "You should know, Matt, I'm an early riser," Tyler laughed. "Let's head out, shall we?"

"I don't even know where to go first…There's a gym right here in town, but I want to grow strong first!"

"You're right about that, Matt. Let's see…" Tyler said, pulling out a map of Sinnoh. We could head up north through Jubilife up to Eterna City and you could face the gym there first."

"That's a great idea. Let's go!"

"Wait, Matt!" Matt's mom called from another room. She and Alex entered, Alex carrying a bag.

"Here!" Alex said, excitedly. "This is for you for your journey, I got it for you!" Alex handed Matt a bag. He opened it up. Spots for empty Pokéballs, potions, TMs, and so many other spots were all around the bag.

Matt smiled. "Thanks, bro. It's awesome!" Alex beamed.

"Be safe on your journey, Matt. I know you'll do great." Matt's mom said.

Matt and Tyler left Matt's house towards Jubilife City, their first destination, as they waved goodbye to a jealous Alex. "Beat all the gyms, Matt! You can do it!" he called.

The new trainer laughed. "So, Tyler, which Pokémon did you bring? I'm curious to see!"

Tyler took a Pokéball from his belt. "Come on out, Luxray!" A black and blue electric lion popped out. "LLLLUXRAY!" Tyler looked at his Pokémon with pride. "Luxray was the first Pokémon I caught. We've been through a lot together. He's the only one I'm bringing."

Matt looked at Tyler's Luxray in awe. "Maybe Torchic will be that big someday…" He looked down at Torchic's Pokéball.

"He'll become strong someday. Hey, maybe we'll find a trainer on the way there so you can battle!"

Matt nodded, and they walked for a bit until they decided to rest for a while. "We're about halfway to Jubilife," Matt noted on the map. "Let's have some lunch, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," Tyler said, taking out a few sandwiches. "Let Torchic out, I have some food for him."

Matt released his Torchic onto the grass. It looked at him happily. "Time to eat, Torchic!" The chick cried happily as Tyler placed a small bowl of Pokémon food in front of it. It chowed down excitedly.

Twenty minutes later, Matt and Tyler were ready to go. They didn't make it twenty steps when out of nowhere, Matt head his name being called.

"Matt! Look over here!" Matt turned to his left and saw Ricky, running towards him. "Hey, man, let's battle!"

"What, right now?" Matt didn't really think of doing a battle right now…but he actually hadn't had a battle yet.

Ricky sent out his Charmander. "Come on, Matt, this should be fun!"

Matt nodded. "Torchic, let's battle!" He threw out his Torchic, who faced Charmander ready for battle.

Tyler stepped in between them. "I'll referee, if you two don't mind."

Ricky smiled. "Let's do this. Charmander, use Scratch!" Charmander leapt at Torchic, scratching it with its claws. Torchic let out a small cry, but stood ready to fight.

"Torchic! Use Growl!" Torchic growled at Charmander. Charmander's expression turned a bit fearful.

"Charmander, Scratch again!" Ricky shouted, and Charmander followed suit. Torchic seemed to take less damage.

"Torchic, Scratch!" Torchic scratched Charmander with its talons. He seemed to take a little more damage. "Great job! Use it again!"

"Dodge it Charmander and use Scratch!" Charmander leapt into the air, causing Torchic to stumble. Charmander landed on Torchic's back and scratched it before leaping off. Torchic squealed.

"Torchic, use Scratch again!" If only Torchic knew another move…

Torchic scratched Charmander's back as the lizard pushed Torchic away, both of them facing each other, each with a serious expression on their face. Suddenly, both Pokémon began to glow red. Matt, Ricky, and Tyler stared at them in awe, as the two simultaneously shot a small stream of fire at each other. "Whoa! They both learned Ember!" Tyler said.

"Way to go, Torchic! Use Ember again!" Torchic quickly spit a small fireball at Charmander, hitting it head on. Charmander didn't look very good.

"Charmander, you do it, too! Ember!" Charmander spit fire at Torchic.

"Torchic, hit Charmander's Ember with yours!" Torchic shot a fireball at Charmander's, causing it to burst into smoke. Everyone's view was blocked.

Matt smiled. "Alright, Torchic, use Scratch!"

Charmander looked around nervously, awaiting the Torchic's attack. The smoke cleared just enough for Charmander to see the fire-chick coming at it, but it was too late. Torchic slammed into Charmander, knocking it over. The smoke cleared, and Charmander was down.

"Charmander is unable to battle, Torchic wins! Which means: the battle goes to Matt!" Tyler said.

"Alright, Torchic! We did it!" Torchic ran towards Matt excitedly. "Torch! Torchic!"

Ricky picked up his Charmander in his arms. "We'll get him next time, girl. Get a good rest." He returned Charmander to its Pokéball and stood up. "Great battle, Matt!"

Matt shook his hand. "Indeed it was. I can't wait to face you again!"

"Ha. Don't expect to win so easily next time." Ricky's eyes gleamed with competition. Matt's did the same.

And so, Matt's first battle ended with a win, as he and Ricky's rivalry began with fiery spirit. And with Jubilife right on the horizon, Matt's journey has truly begun. Where will Matt and Tyler travel to? Who else will they see? Stay tuned to Pokémon Dimensions for more!

Meanwhile, in Sunnyshore City…

"Sir, your device is almost complete." An older scientist approached a large white chair.

"Is it done now?" The man in the chair said lowly.

"Uh, no Sir, but-"

"Do not come to me unless it is finished! I need none of your insolence!" The man stood up, a hunched back and large cape.

"M-My apologies, sir." The scarred scientist began to leave.

"Wait…"

The scientist stopped. "Y-Yes sir?"

The man in the chair threw the scientist a key. "Use the secret ingredient."

The shocked scientist caught the key. "B-But sir, we don't even know i-"

"Use it!" The man shouted, the scientist scurrying out of the room. The caped man sat back down. "If these men knew what they were creating…they probably wouldn't listen to me. But thankfully they don't." He chuckled. "If only they knew…"


	3. Episode 3: The Encounter

Episode 3:

"Here we are, Jubilife City!" Matt entered the city he'd been to so many times before, as his trainer school was here. But being on a Pokémon Journey rather than stuck in a classroom…Matt couldn't believe this was happening.

"Let's go ahead to the Pokémon Center and heal up Torchic. You had a good battle with Ricky and his Charmander, Torchic must be tired," Tyler said, pointing to the town center.

The two entered the center and Matt handed Torchic's Pokéball to Nurse Joy. The Nurse thanked him and told him he would be healed in no time. Meanwhile, Matt and Tyler sat down in the lobby until Torchic was fully healed.

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" Matt said when he got his Pokémon back.  
"You're welcome, dear. Come back anytime!"  
"So where to now, Matt?" Tyler asked. "Anywhere in Jubilife you'd like to go?"

The two began to talk about plans in the city as they walked outside of the Pokémon center.

"Hey, look out!" Suddenly, Matt was knocked to the ground. Tyler side-stepped and avoided the collision.

Matt's vision came to clearing as he stared into a shocked Lucario's eyes. "I…It's you…"

"You can talk?!" Matt backed away from the Lucario in awe, still on the ground.

"A talking Pokémon is quite rare…" Tyler said, as Lucario stood up. "How did you acquire such ability?"

"And h-how do you know me? I've never seen you before!"

Lucario sighed. "I suppose I should explain. I am-"

"Hey! There he is! Don't let him get away!" Matt, Tyler, and Lucario all turned at the same time to see a few men in turquoise uniforms.

Lucario quickly turned to Matt and whispered, "9:30, West Cave on Route 204, tonight!" With the last word, Lucario pushed Matt into the Pokémon Center, as the doors were just opening for another trainer to come out. Lucario sprinted away, being pursued by the men in teal.

Matt sat up, rubbing his head. "What the hell just happened?"

Tyler offered his hand to help Matt up, who accepted. "I don't know. But he seems to have pissed off some people real bad, hasn't he?"

"9:30…West Cave…tonight…" Matt whispered to himself, trying to remember the details.

"You're not thinking about going there tonight, are you?" Tyler seemed shocked.

"He wouldn't say it to me like that if it wasn't important. I need to go, Tyler." Tyler nodded. Matt looked at his watch, which read 7:00. He'd been travelling most of the day, and didn't realize how long it had been. "How does Lucario know me…?"

"Come on," Tyler said. "Let's get something to eat before you go over there." Matt nodded.

All throughout dinner, Matt's mind was constantly racing about Lucario. Tyler tried to get him to calm down, but to no avail. "Relax, Matt. For all we know, it could just be a misunderstanding. Maybe he thought you were someone else?"

"That doesn't help, Tyler…I can't shake the thought from my mind." Tyler sighed and cut into his steak.

It was 9:15 and Matt couldn't wait anymore. He started up Route 4, Tyler following closely behind. "Do you have any idea where West Cave is?" Matt asked Tyler.

His cousin only shrugged. "I'm not the one meeting up with him."

Matt sighed, looking for an opening in the rocks on the left side of the Route. Any sign of a cave or Lucario Matt was going to jump at. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a quick blue and yellow figure among the rocks. Just as soon as it was there, it was gone. "There he is…" Matt said, walking over to the rock fixture. Thankfully, a path was there made into the stone that Matt decided to follow.

"So he actually showed up," Tyler said on the way there. Matt noticed Tyler keeping his hand near his belt, no doubt nervous that Lucario might attack them. Matt sighed and continued up the mountain.

Inside the cave, Lucario waited for the chosen trainer, meditating-something he always tried to do. He couldn't believe he was so easy to find. But if he hadn't pushed him out of the way…

"Lucario…" the Jackal Pokémon heard his name being whispered from outside. He stopped meditating and peeked outside, where he saw the boy from earlier. Quickly, he pulled the trainer and his older friend inside the cave, discretely. Lucario sat down and created a small fire of aura in his paw. He motioned for Matt and Tyler to sit down.

"So you decided to show up," Lucario said, a solemn look on his face. "Why?"

Matt studied the Fighting-Type. He was intimidating, yet calm. "You recognized me, but I don't know who you are," Matt said. "The way you looked at me and the way you ran away…it didn't seem like something to ignore."

Lucario gave Matt a half-smile. "So it looks like they were right about you."

"R-Right about me? Who are they?" Matt became worried.

Lucario sighed. "I owe it to you to explain. Earlier, I was running from the evil organization known as Team Revenant. Their mission…well, I'm not exactly sure what it is. They don't say anything to prisoners."

"You're a prisoner?"

"I was. But after seeing a glimpse of their plan, I knew I had to get out of there. I did after causing some confusion. But there was something else I saw there…a picture of a trainer, with a list of Pokémon next to him. I didn't see the whole list, but I did see one. Do you by chance…have the Pokémon Blaziken?" Matt slowly and nervously crept his hand to his belt, and let out his Torchic, who would one day evolve into the Pokémon Lucario was talking about. "I see…so it is you. You are the trainer in the picture."

Tyler shook his head. "That's ridiculous! Matt became a trainer only yesterday, how could they have a picture of him?"

Lucario closed his eyes, slightly irritated. The younger one, who seemed to be named Matt, was listening intently, but he had to convince the older one, too that he was telling the truth. "Like I've said before, I don't know exactly what they're planning. But they know who you are, Matt. I hate to give this new to you…but you're in danger."

Matt heart sank. What could these Team Revenant guys want with him? He bowed his head. "So that's why you pushed me away in Jubilife? So they couldn't see me?" Lucario nodded.

"Come on, Matt, let's go." Tyler said, standing up. "I don't see how this guy could be telling the truth."

Lucario stood up. Though shorter, he rivaled Tyler with his strength. "Please, you have to believe me!"

Tyler shook his head, tensing up. "Not for a seco-"

"He saved my life." Matt cut Tyler short before standing up himself, facing Tyler "Those guys in town didn't seem friendly, and I don't see a reason to make up a story like this!"

Tyler relaxed, sighing. "Ok, Lucario. Since Matt seems so intent on believing you, I will, too."

Lucario relaxed as well. "Thank you both. I don't mean to drag you into such a mess…but I needed to warn you of them."

Matt nodded. "Thank you, Lucario…"

"Thankfully, they don't travel much. I escaped them earlier, but they'll still be looking for me. This is where we part ways-I can't draw any suspicion to you. Stay safe, Matt. I…I will return."

And with that, Lucario sprinted off into the mountains, leaving Matt and Tyler in total awe. "Come on," Tyler said. "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center in Jubilife for the night."

Matt nodded hesitantly, following Tyler back.

"You fool!" A grunt was slammed to the ground by the mysterious man. "You let that Lucario get away!"

"B-But boss, we couldn't help it, we-"

"Enough!" The boss shouted. "I will not stand for this. Team Revenant will not allow this!"

"Y-Yes sir, I agr-"

"Go! Get that damn Lucario!" The grunt ran out of the room. To himself, the Team Revenant boss said, "Insolent fools…"


	4. Episode 4: Catch of the Day

Episode 4: Catch of the Day!

The morning sun shone it on Matt's face as he groggily sat up. He could barely sleep after talking with Lucario. What did they want with him…Whatever. Just so long as Matt didn't do anything suspicious, he wouldn't be found or caught. If what Lucario said was right…then he saved Matt from Team Revenant by pushing him away. Matt got out of bed and dressed. Tyler was gone. Matt assumed he was already dressed and eating in the Pokémon Center dining room already. Matt decided to head down there, and sure enough, there was Tyler, almost done with breakfast.

"Morning, Matt," Tyler said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Grab a bagel; I'm itching to get to Floaroma Town today!"

Matt sat down across from Tyler, a bagel in hand. Matt never really has a heavy breakfast. "Why so eager to get there?"

Tyler took a sip of juice. "Rumors are all over that that town may have something to do with the Legendary Pokémon Shaymin!" Tyler's energy was enough to put a smile on Matt's face. "Listen, Matt, I'm sorry it took me so long to agree with you and Lucario last night."

"Don't stress it, man," Matt replied. "I admit, he did seem suspicious last night. But thanks." Tyler nodded.

The two left the Pokémon Center a couple hours later and started towards Route 4. Before they left the city, Tyler stopped Matt. "Wait right here for a minute." Tyler went into a nearby building, leaving Matt alone in the streets. Mere minutes later, Tyler came back out. "A gift from me to you for the start of your Pokémon journey, Matt," he said, and then handed Matt a Pokétch.

Matt stared at it. "Thanks, man…" he said, quickly putting it on. "This is pretty cool!"

"Every Sinnoh trainer should have one! It only makes sense you should, too!" Tyler said, flashing his own, slightly older model.

Matt and Tyler left the city moments later on their way to Floaroma, and then Eterna City: the sight of Matt's first Gym Battle! He couldn't wait!

Up in a tree near the Valley Windworks, Lucario strained to remember what he saw in the Revenant Headquarters that could help him. Anything at all would suffice, really. He just hoped that he could keep them off of Matt's trail for long enough until he was stronger. _Then_, Lucario thought, _He'll be the one to take them down. He HAS to be…_

Lucario's paw slipped momentarily in the tree, causing a few leaves to fall. His deep thought caused him to not notice the Team Revenant grunts below him. "There he is, get him!"  
"Crap," Lucario said under his breath. The two grunts started to climb the tree, but quicker than they could see, Lucario was already in another tree. "You know, for an evil organization, you're pretty diligent." He couldn't help but smirk as the grunts realized their target's escape. Lucario started north, going quickly enough to get out of their sights but not too  
far to where they couldn't find him again. He'd have to keep them on his trail.

"Matt! Slow down! Floaroma's not going anywhere!" Tyler called out to his excited cousin, who was almost running to get there.

"But as soon as we get there, we can get to Eterna!" Matt turned around, running again. He couldn't contain his excitement for his first gym battle. Out of nowhere, a gush of water crashed into Matt, knocking him over. Tyler had a chance to catch up with him.

"Bui!" Matt heard from a bush. From the bushes came an orange otter, arms crossed and a confident expression on his face.

Matt stood up. "What was that for?" He yelled at the Pokémon. The Pokémon responded by spraying him with more water.

"I think it's challenging you to a battle, Matt," Tyler said, laughing.

"Really?" Matt looked at the Pokémon, who seemed to nod. Matt pulled out his Pokédex and aimed it at the Water-Type.

"Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon. It swims by rotating its two tails like a screw. When it dives, its flotation sac collapses." The Pokédex read out

"A Buizel, huh?" Matt looked at his belt, his only Pokémon being a Torchic, weak against Buizel. He had no choice, however. "Torchic! Let's Battle!"  
Torchic popped out of the Pokéball. "Torchic!" It cried, facing the Buizel.

"Buizel Bui!" Buizel shouted before engulfing itself in a stream of water and shooting at Torchic.

"It used Aqua Jet!" Tyler called.

"Torchic, quick, dodge it!" Torchic leapt up, just barely missing Buizel. "Now, use Ember!" Torchic shot down a small burst of fire at Buizel. Buizel responded my shooting a gush of water at Torchic, hitting it in midair. Torchic feel to the ground.

"Torchic, are you okay?" Matt shouted at his Pokémon, a little concerned. Torchic stood up and got right back into battle position. Matt smiled. "Use Ember again!"

Torchic and Buizel each shot a small attack at each other. They collided, creating steam. From behind the clouds, Buizel shot out, using Aqua Jet again, a direct hit on Torchic!

Torchic stood up rather weakly. Matt was worried about him.

"Is Torchic ok to battle?" Tyler asked, noting Matt's worry.

"Torchic!" The Fire-Type shouted, determined to defeat his foe. Matt smiled. But how could he beat Buizel, who looks like he's barely taken any damage.

"You know, you're pretty strong, Buizel," Matt said to his opponent.

"Bui Bui!" The Pokémon crossed his arms with a smug grin, and then turned away, walking away from the battle.

Matt and Tyler both stared at the Buizel. "Hey, where're you going, we're having a battle!"

"Bui Buizel!" He called back, still walking. Right then, Matt had an idea. He pulled out an empty Pokéball from his bag.

"You're going to catch him?" Tyler asked with a small smile on his face.

"He's pretty strong," Matt said. "And I need another Pokémon." Matt threw the Pokéball at the Buizel. But before the ball collided with him, the Buizel smacked the ball back at Matt with its tails. Matt caught the ball, stunned. He ran after the Buizel, who continued to walk. "What's up, Buizel?" The Buizel continued to walk, ignoring Matt.

"I guess he doesn't want to be caught," Tyler noted, as Buizel jumped into the river away from Matt, casually swimming. "He seems to have an attitude to him, though, are you sure you want to catch him?"

"I've got to," Matt said, a determined expression forming on his face.

Matt waited in the bushes near the river, waiting for Buizel to come by. Tyler sat next to him, a bit annoyed. "Relax, Tyler," Matt said, noticing his cousin's anxiety. "He'll come out shortly."

Sure enough, the Water-Type walked by only a moment later. He didn't notice the eager trainer. Matt threw a Pokéball, which hit the Buizel and sucked him in! "Yes!" Matt cried, jumping out of the bush and staring at the shaking ball.

After only a few shakes, the Buizel popped out, yelling at Matt. "Torchic! Let's Battle!" Matt threw out his starter. He had healed Torchic prior to hiding from Buizel, so he was ready to fight. "Use Ember, Torchic," Matt cried. The Fire-Type complied, firing a quick burst of fire before Buizel could react. Buizel got knocked back, but recuperated quickly.

Suddenly, Buizel grabbed his right arm with his paw in pain. "Bui…"

Tyler shouted, "He's got a burn, Matt!" Matt nodded, using this as a chance to get ahead. He ordered Torchic to scratch the Buizel, who shot a stream of water at Torchic. Torchic went straight through the water, the burn hurting his attack greatly.

Buizel looked Matt in the eye, a small sense of defeat present. Yet Matt could swear he saw a small smile break the Water-Type's stern expression. The trainer threw a Pokéball at Buizel, sucking him inside. The Pokéball shook once, twice, three times…and then stopped.

Matt picked up the Pokéball. "Alright!" He shouted, "I caught a Buizel!" He studied the Pokéball with a smile. He now had a second Pokémon!

Tyler clapped a few times from the side. "Great job, Matt," he said.

Matt let out Buizel. "Bui?" It asked, looking up at Matt, its new trainer.

The trainer kneeled down. "I know we're going to grow strong together, I can just tell it."

The Pokémon looked at Matt, studying him.

Tyler walked up behind Matt. "You know, giving a Pokémon a nickname can make the bond stronger between you two. Why don't you give Buizel and Torchic ones?"

Matt let Torchic out of its Pokéball and looked at the two orange Pokémon intently. A nickname had to describe them right. "Torchic…how do you like the name Flint?" The Fire-Type squealed with glee. "Ha! I knew you'd like it!" Flint nodded, enjoying its new name. He then turned his attention to Buizel, whose arms were crossed. "What to name you…?" Matt thought about the battle they had earlier, something to give away Buizel's personality. "How about Aquato?"

Buizel shook its head. "Bui Bui!"

Matt looked stunned. "What's wrong with it…?"

Tyler laughed. "Matt, look at Buizel's back."

"Huh…?" Matt looked at the other side of Buizel, a single yellow oval on its back. "Wait, don't Buizels have two?"

Tyler chuckled again. "Male Buizels do. This one's a girl, though!" Buizel nodded.

"Then you'll need a good girl's name!" Matt though hard. "How about Raina?" She smiled at the name.

"Buizel Bui!" Raina shouted.

"So you like your new name, huh?" Matt smiled, already feeling closer to his team. "Flint and Raina, return!" He looked at his two Pokéballs happily. "Let's go, guys. Let's have a great adventure.

Now that Matt obtained a new partner, he could become even stronger! What adventures await Matt and his team? Find out next time on Pokémon Dimensions!


	5. Episode 5: A Golden Rival

Chapter 5: "A Golden Rival!"

Excited with his new Pokémon, a Buizel named Raina, Matt continued up Route 204, closely approaching Floaroma Town with his cousin Tyler, who had his head buried in a book. Matt had to stop him several times from running into a tree.

"What's in that book, anyways?" Matt asked, curious.

"It's the Professor's notes on Legendary Pokémon," Tyler said. "He gave them to me and asked me to fill in as much information as I can! I've just been reading some of them." Matt noted to himself that Tyler was already a third of the way through the journal.

In the forest next to the pathway, out of the eyesight of Matt and Tyler, a small tree started to fall, disturbing a heard of Sawsbuck calmly grazing. At the sound of the felled tree, the Sawsbuck spurred and ran out of the forest, heading straight for the unsuspecting duo.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!" Matt heard a voice shout, bringing his attention to the stampeding heard.

"Tyler, run!" Matt shouted, pushing his cousin and following suit. A quick stream of water splashed in front of the heard, deterring them from Matt and Tyler, saving them.

"What was that?" Tyler asked, catching his breath. "We almost got trampled by those Sawsbuck!"

A trainer in a yellow jacket appeared, taking out a Pokéball. "Mudkip, return!" he said as his Water-Type returned to its Pokéball.

"You saved our lives!" Matt said.

"Don't mention it," the trainer replied, extending his hand. "The name's Gold."

"Gold, huh? Interesting name. Though judging by the outfit, I'd say the name fits you." Matt said, shaking Gold's hand. "I'm Matt, this is my cousin Tyler."

"Nice to meet you both," Gold replied. "Say, would you fancy having a battle with me? We're both trainers, after all."

Matt didn't even give it a thought. He grabbed a Pokéball off of his belt and nodded. "Tyler, will you ref?"

"Sure thing," Tyler said, taking a place between Matt and Gold, giving them space. "Each person will be able to use two Pokémon. The winner is the one to knock out both of their opponent's Pokémon first.

"Right," Matt said, taking out his Pokéball. "Flint, Let's Battle!" The orange chick popped out, taking its battle stance.

"Mudkip, come on out!" Gold shouted. Matt gulped-Mudkip had a clear type advantage.

"Begin the battle!" Tyler shouted.

"Flint, use Ember!" Matt shouted, as the Fire-Type spat out a fireball at Mudkip.

"Mudkip, counter it with Tackle!"

_Tackle? _Matt thought. _Why would he counter a move like Ember with Tackle?_ Mudkip charged head on into the flame. The attack spread over Mudkip, seeming to not even affect him! Matt gasped, Gold's Pokémon slamming into Flint. "Torchic!" he screamed, knocked to the ground.

"Flint, get up!" Matt called. What a strategy! Matt didn't even think that was possible. The Torchic stood up soon after, ready to fight again.

"Now, Mudkip, Water Gun!" Gold commanded. Mudkip shot a stream of water.

"Dodge it Flint, and use scratch!" Flint jumped into the air, narrowly missing the water attack. He then flew down into Mudkip, scratching it with its talons. "Great hit, Flint!"

"Tor!" The Torchic jumped off of the Water-Type and landed perfectly, ready for more battle.

"Your Torchic's pretty strong," Gold noted. "Now Mudkip, use Water Gun again!"

"Dodge it like last time, Flint!" Flint began to jump, until Gold ordered Mudkip to raise its stream of water. Flint was hit and knocked to the ground. He stood up weakly. "You ok, Flint?" The Torchic nodded. "Great. Use Ember again!" Torchic shot more fire at Mudkip, this time hitting it head on.

"Mudkip!" Gold called. Mudkip stood up, not having taken much damage.  
_Why does Matt keep attacking with Ember when Mudkip resists it? _ Tyler thought. Then he noticed something on Mudkip's leg. _That's why! He was trying to burn Mudkip!_

"Mudkip, use Water Gun again!" Gold called. The water hit Flint head on, giving him no chance to dodge. Flint fell, unable to continue.

"Flint the Torchic is unable to battle!" Tyler called. "The battle goes to Mudkip!"

"Flint, return." Matt recalled his Torchic. "Great job, Flint. Have a good rest."

Matt reached for his only other Pokémon, his new Buizel. "Raina, Let's Battle!"

Raina popped out of her Pokéball. "Bui Bui!"

"Buizel, eh?" Gold said with a grin. Let's see what she can do. Mudkip, use Tackle!"

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!" The two Water-Types slammed into each other. The collision sent Mudkip flying back onto the ground.

"Mudkip is unable to battle," Tyler said. "The battle goes to Raina the Buizel!"

Gold called back his Pokémon. "Great Job, pal. You'll get them next time."

"Your Mudkip's really strong," Matt said. "I doubt Raina would have had a good chance without him being weakened by Torchic."

Gold nodded. "Let's see how she does against my next Pokémon. Purrloin, come on out!"

A purple cat appeared. It purred, getting ready for battle.

"Whoa, Purrloin!" Tyler said. "You don't find those very often in Sinnoh."

"Yeah, she's pretty rare. But check this out. Purrloin, use Pursuit!"

"Purr…" Purrloin disappeared, only to reappear seconds later, slamming into Raina.

Raina fell to her back, but getting back up barely. "Strong hit…" Matt said, nervous. "Use Aqua Jet, Raina!"

"Bui!" Water surrounded Raina as she quickly charged at the Dark-Type, hitting it head on.

"Purrloin, get up!" Gold called out. The Pokémon stood up. "Good, use Fury Swipes!"  
"Aqua Jet, Raina!"

The two Pokémon collided in mid-air, creating an explosion. When the steam cleared, both Pokémon were panting, looking back at each other. Then, at the same time, they both fell to their knees.

"Raina the Buizel and Purrloin are both unable to battle! This battle is a draw!"  
Matt and Gold each called back their fainted Pokémon. "Nice Battle," Matt said, shaking Gold's hand.

"Likewise. Looks like I've got some training to do before I can beat you."

Matt nodded. "We'll see." Matt's eyes were attracted to something poking out of Gold's bag: a badge case. "Hey, are you collecting badges?"

"Sure am!" Gold said, taking out his case, a single badge set in the case. "So far I only have one, but that'll change soon!"

"I don't even have any yet," Matt said, producing an empty case. "But I'm on my way to get my first one!"  
"Good Luck!" Gold wished. "I look forward to facing you in the Pokémon League."

Matt's faced turned competitive. "I can't wait."

The two trainers parted ways, Gold headed south for Jubilife, Matt and Tyler north towards Floaroma. After a few minutes of walking, Tyler looked into the distance. "There it is!" he shouted, pointing towards the small town only a short ways away.

And so, with a new Pokémon and rival in hand, Matt and Tyler reached Floaroma Town. For Tyler, this is the first stop in his research. For Matt: a stepping stone closer to his first Gym Battle. What will our trainers do next? Stay Tuned!


	6. Episode 6: Mystery in the Garden

Episode 6: "Mystery in the Garden"

Tyler took a large whiff of his surroundings, taking in the pretty smells the flowers that surrounded Floaroma Town. "Isn't this place great, Matt?"

Matt looked around at the multitude of flower shops, gardens, and flower boxes all around the city. It was a pretty sight, that's for sure. But something else was bothering him. Tyler took note. "Everything ok, Matt?"

Matt took out Raina's Pokéball, looking at it. "I feel like Raina doesn't like me that much."

"What makes you say that?" Tyler asked. The two were headed to Pokémon Center. A Cherrim skipped by happily, moving from one flower pot to another.

"In our last battle against Gold, she wasn't very responsive."

"You remember when you caught her, right? She didn't seem to want to be caught, then, either."

The young trainer looked down his Buizel's Pokéball again. "I hope she warms up to me…"

Tyler patted Matt on the back. "Don't worry. She's a strong Pokémon and I'm sure you'll be fighting in sync in no time."

"Thanks, Tyler," Matt said. The two made it to the Pokémon Center and went inside. Nurse Joy greeted them with a smile, but as soon as they were about to hand her their Pokémon, they heard a scream.

A young girl ran into the Pokémon Center and up to the counter, yelling, "Nurse Joy, Nurse Joy! I need help! There's a strange Pokémon in the Town Garden and I couldn't find anyone else and, and, and-"

"Calm down, dear," Nurse Joy said in her usual calm voice. "I'm sure that Pokémon isn't there to hurt anyone."

"But I'm scared and I don't know what to do and-"

"Would you like us to help you?" Tyler asked the girl.

The girl stopped talking and looked up to Tyler shyly. "Uh…I guess…"

"Don't worry," Tyler said. "We're both trainers, we'll protect you if you need it." He gave the girl a reassuring smile. "I'm Tyler, and this is Matt."

"I…I'm Ally…" The girl said back. She looked at the two trainers. "The Pokémon's this way!" She said. Matt and Tyler followed her as she led them across the city, giving Tyler a chance to see more of the beautiful town. They passed by a small stone statue of the Legendary Pokémon Shaymin; Tyler couldn't help but to stop and look at it for a couple seconds.

They reached a large gateway covered in flowers. Matt looked up at the top of the gate, where "Floaroma Town Garden" was spelled out in red flowers across the top. The girl was still running, but seemed to slow down.

"Is everything ok?" Tyler asked the girl.

"I'm scared…I've never seen that Pokémon before…"

"It's ok," Tyler said. "Just show us where you saw it, ok?"

The girl nodded and walked a bit before pointing to a bush. "It's in there," she said.

"Luxray, come on out!" Tyler said, his electric lion popping out. "Stay ready in case I need you," Tyler told Luxray.

"Lux!"

Tyler slowly crept up to the bush and moved it apart. He could just make out a small figure inside, but he couldn't quite see. "Luxray, use Flash" Luxray turned around and lit up his tail, shining light into the bush. Suddenly, the Pokémon flew out of the bush, knocking Tyler over. In the confusion, it flew into the sky. No one was able to get a good look at it except for Tyler.

"What was that Pokémon?" Matt asked, helping his cousin up. Tyler looked up to the sky, the Pokémon flying away, only a shadow against the sky now.

"It almost looked like...Shaymin," Tyler said. He thought back to the statue he saw only moments before, but the Pokémon he saw looked nothing like that.

"Shaymin?" The girl asked. "My mommy always tells me stories about Shaymin!"

Tyler looked at Professor Rowan's journal in his hand and flipped to the pages on Shaymin. "Say, Ally, could I talk to your mother about those stories? I'm doing a project for the professor on Legendary Pokémon, and those stories could help me with it."

Ally nodded, having felt better about Matt and Tyler. "I'll bring you to her!"

"Thanks for helping my daughter, you two," Ally's mom greeted Tyler and Matt. "Sometimes her imagination gets away from her."

"Not a problem, ma'am," Tyler replied.

"Now what's this she told me about you wanting to hear the stories I tell her?"

"You see, ma'am, I'm working for Professor Rowan researching Legendary Pokémon. Floaroma Town is known for its connection to Shaymin, correct?"

Ally's mother nodded. "Yep. I'm supposing you'd like to hear more about him, right dear?" Tyler nodded. "Well come on in and I'll share my stories with you."

Matt and Tyler followed her into her living room and took a seat across from her. "Alright then," she started, Tyler taking out his notebook, ready to act. "Once there was a time where Floaroma Town looked nothing like it did today. There were very little people, the ground was dry and barren were next to no Pokémon! But one day, a small, flowery Pokémon arrived. Everyone looked at it in awe as where it walked, grass and flowers bloomed! The town became a much happier place as people and Pokémon alike arrived and decided to live here. Soon, the town became a beautiful town, and many gardens were made to celebrate Shaymin's gift."

"Thanks for the story, ma'am," Tyler said. "But that story and the statue I saw earlier show Shaymin completely different than what I saw in the bushes today."

"Could that be Shaymin's Sky Forme, dear?"

"Sky Forme…" Tyler thought, skimming through the Professor's notebook. Suddenly, he came upon a page previously unnoticed. "Shaymin's Sky Forme, appears when the Gracedia Flowers are in full bloom."

"Tyler, weren't there Gracedia Flowers in that bush we found Shaymin in?" Matt asked. "That's why Shaymin was in its Sky Forme!"

"You're right, Matt," Tyler said. "Too bad that was already in the Professor's Journal. I was really hoping I could add something." He stood up, Matt following. "Thank you for your time, ma'am." Ally and her mother waved goodbye to Tyler and Matt as they left.

The continued to walk through town. "Matt, can we go back to the Garden? There's something there I want to check there."

"Sure thing, man." Matt said back. The two arrived in the garden again. Tyler's eyes combed the skies looking for a sign of Shaymin.

"Nowhere to be seen," Tyler observed.

"Uh…Tyler?" Matt called out, looking straight ahead rather than up. "You may want to look over there."

"Hm?" Tyler followed Matt's gaze, where a green and white Pokémon was flying straight at them. "Whoa!" The two jumped out of the way just in time as the Pokémon swept by them, intending to hit them. It then flew up and positioned itself in front of Matt and Tyler.

"It's Shaymin!" Tyler shouted. "It's in its Sky Forme!"

Matt looked closer at the Pokémon and noticed its eyes, they seemed…to have no life in them. "Something's wrong with it," Matt said. Shaymin charged at them again, eyes turning angry. The two jumped again. This time, Matt reached for his belt, taking out a Pokéball.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt shouted, the Buizel popping out, ready for battle. "Use Water Gun on Shaymin!" As Matt said his order, Shaymin let out an Energy Ball, hitting Raina head on. The Buizel was knocked onto her back, getting right back up.

"Try it again, Raina!" The Buizel seemed to hesitate a bit, before firing a stream of water at Shaymin, hitting it, but not doing much damage.

"Luxray, let's go!" Tyler sent out his Pokémon as Shaymin sent another ball of energy at Raina.

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!" She surrounded herself in water and charged at Shaymin. It slammed into Raina, both of them bouncing back.

"Luxray, Thunderbolt!" Tyler's Electric-Type shot a large bolt of lightning at Shaymin, bringing it to the ground. Both trainers ran towards the Pokémon, trying to surround it.

"Is it ok?" Matt asked. They both looked closely. Shaymin's leg seemed to be injured, but its eyes were normal.

"We need to get it to a Pokémon Center," Tyler said. "Quickly."

"Bui?" Raina looked over Shaymin a little hesitantly.

"It'll be ok, Raina," Matt reassured his Pokémon as Tyler scooped it up in his arms. "Return, and thanks for the help," Matt tried to return her, but she jumped out of the way of the red beam.

"Buizel Bui!" She looked at Matt confidently.

"You want to come to?" Matt asked. Raina nodded, causing Matt to smile.

"Would you two stop, Shaymin needs help!" Tyler asked, already headed towards the gateway into town.

Matt, Raina, Tyler, Luxray, and Shaymin reached the Pokémon Center. After a surprised Nurse Joy greeted them, Shaymin got treatment and was healed quickly.

"Is he ok?" Tyler asked Nurse Joy.

"He's just fine," she replied with a smile. "Can I trust you to return him to the garden?"

"Sure thing!" Tyler took Shaymin from Nurse Joy, who was sleeping. The two walked back to the garden. Tyler set him down next to a patch of flowers. "Sleep well, Shaymin."

Shaymin turned over in its sleep, his back paw being exposed. Matt noticed something out of place around its ankle. "Hey, what's that?" He bent down and took off what seemed to be a bracelet. It was cold, metal, and had a strange pattern on it. Matt turned it around and saw a green "R" pattern. "What does this mean?"


	7. Episode 7: A Bibarel Crisis

Chapter 7: A Bibarel Crisis

"All right!" Matt shouted, as he and Tyler left Floaroma Town. "One more Route, and I'll get to my first Gym Battle!"

"You sure are excited, huh Matt?" Tyler said, writing something in Rowan's journal while walking. Despite his cousin's joy about the upcoming gym battle, Tyler couldn't help but think about Shaymin. Who would do such a thing to it? Tyler had noticed a section of blank pages in the back, and planned on taking detailed notes there if anything like that ever happened again.

The two travelers passed by the windmills of the Valley Windworks. Matt watched the Drifloon fly around, laughing when they seemed to get caught in the wind. Knowing that his first Gym Battle was just around the corner, he couldn't contain his excitement. Sure, he was worried about Shaymin and the people that did that to it as much as Tyler was. But why worry about the negatives right now? It's such a beautiful day.

A couple hours passed, and Matt and Tyler found themselves at the entrance to Eterna Forest. "Ah, Eterna Forest," Tyler said. "This place brings back memories…"

"What kind of memories?" Matt asked, as the two began into the forest.

"Well," Tyler said. "This was where I caught a Budew back on my first journey. We became really close, even defeating the Eterna Gym Leader. But eventually, I traded him for another Pokémon. I still remember my days with him." Tyler looked deep into the forest, almost scanning it, as if his old Pokémon were there.

Matt noticed and said, "Maybe we'll find him in there?" That gave Tyler a smile, as the two progressed.

"Rose!" Suddenly, the two were pushed away by a green flash as a tree crashed where Matt and Tyler were previously standing.

Matt, having been knocked down, sat up and looked at the tree that had just crashed before them. "What just happened?" Matt asked. Light was shining through the trees, covering up a figure. When it came into focus, Matt could see a Roserade standing in the treetops, arms crossed. "Did you save us?"

The Roserade nodded, as Matt and Tyler got up. "Roserade," the Pokémon said, nodding. Matt pulled out his Pokédex.

"Roserade: The Bouquet Pokémon. With the movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips that are densely lined with poison thorns."

A voice called out from down the path. "Roserade, over here!"

"Rose?" All three turned and saw a young man, slightly older than Tyler walking this way. As he got closer, Tyler could make out his face.

"Raymond?" He asked, looking at the other trainer. "Is that you?"

The trainer looked at Tyler. "Hey, it's Tyler! Haven't seen you in forever!" The two shook hands, excited to see each other.

"You guys know each other, I take it?" Matt said.

Tyler nodded. "Matt, this is Raymond, he was a rival of mine back when we were both on our journeys. Raymond, this is Matt, my cousin. He's on his journey."

"Pleasure to meet you," Raymond presented his hand, which Matt shook.

"Likewise," Matt said.

Just then, Tyler realized something. "Wait, Raymond, is that your Roserade?"

Raymond nodded. "Yep. Same one you traded me all those years ago."

Tyler smiled, realizing his old partner. "Remember me, Roserade?" A smile appeared on the Grass-Type's face. Suddenly, it leapt at Tyler, as they both embraced in a hug. Tyler missed his old Pokémon.

"Roserade's been a great partner to me. I can't thank you enough," Raymond said. "You two wanna come back to my place in the forest to rest up?"

"That sounds great," Matt said. The group, led by Raymond, went through the forest and eventually came across a cabin. "You live out here?" Matt asked.

Raymond nodded. "Yep. I'm a Pokémon Ranger now. I live out here in the forest with Roserade and my other Pokémon, keeping an eye on the scenery and making sure no one gets hurt or lost in the forest."

"What a great job!" Tyler said. "It must be relaxing."

"For the most part," Raymond replied. "But some days, it does get a bit hectic when it comes to people in trouble. You two haven't been the first to almost get crushed by falling trees recently."

"There have been more?" Matt asked.

"Mhmm. For some reason, the Bidoof in the forest have been acting strange. They've been chewing on trees everywhere, but not they aren't taking wood for their dam at all. Just chewing on trees and leaving them to fall. I tried to follow them back to the river, but any time I'd get close, a Bibarel would angrily chase us away. I'm not sure what to do about them."

"Do you think we could help?"

Raymond's expression turned confused. "Sure, go right ahead. I'll take you both to them." They left the cabin and went towards a small river. When they got there, Matt saw an already made dam, a few Bidoof standing around. "The Bibarel is inside," Raymond said.

"Alright," Matt said, taking his Pokéball from his belt. "Come on out, Flint." The Torchic popped out, looking up to his trainer. "Get ready, Flint."

A Bidoof noticed the group and started shouting towards the dam. As it shouted, a Bibarel popped out, yelling at Matt and Tyler. Flint took a battle stance in front of the Bibarel, who seemed to notice Torchic's desire to battle it. The two faced off.

Matt smiled. "Alright, Flint, use Ember!" Flint spat out a fireball at Bibarel, who dodged it easily. It responded by charging at the Torchic and grabbing it in its teeth, chomping down.

"It used Superfang!" Tyler shouted. Matt looked at his Torchic. It looked like he took a lot of damage. Bibarel let go and Flint fell, but was able to get back up.

"I forgot, Bibarel's part Water-Type…" Matt said to himself. "Use Scratch, Flint!" Flint shot forward at the Normal-Type Pokémon, scratching it with its talons. Before Flint could get away, Bibarel chomped down again. Matt cringed, but then looked at Flint, who was still in Bibarel's mouth. That gave Matt an idea. "Flint, use Ember into Bibarel's mouth!" Flint shot a small bit of fire into the Pokémon's mouth. It instantly let Flint go, and backed away. "Nice hit!"

Bibarel shot out a stream of water. "Jump, Flint!" Matt shouted, not waiting to act again. Flint jumped, narrowly missing the water. "Now, Scratch!" Torchic went straight at Bibarel, scratching it with its talons again. Bibarel was taken even more aback, and soon reentered its dam. "It's…done?" Matt asked.

"I think it doesn't think it can beat you, Matt," Raymond said. "But we still don't know why they're acting so strangely…"

"What if I went inside?" Matt asked.

"It looks pretty dangerous…" Tyler noted. "Are you sure?" But before Matt was able to respond, he was already on top of the dam, near the entrance. "Be careful!" Tyler yelled, knowing he couldn't convince his cousin otherwise.

Matt poked his head into the dam, and noticed Bibarel. Bibarel was startled a little bit, but Matt tried to calm it down. "It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." He slowly crept in, trying not to startle the Pokémon any more. When he got in, he saw a Bidoof next to him, who seemed to have a hurt ankle. He popped his head out of the dam for a moment. "Raymond, there's a hurt Bidoof in here, do you have any bandages?"

"I'll be right up there!" Raymond shouted back.

Matt went back down into the hole, as Bibarel was trying to help the Bidoof stand up. He suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye, something shiny. Matt picked up a small metal anklet, with the same design on it as the one on Shaymin. "This again…" Matt couldn't understand what was going on. Raymond got there quickly with some aid, and Matt helped bandage the Bidoof up. "Feel better," he said to it.

Matt and Tyler spent the night at Raymond's cabin. Matt couldn't really get much sleep, though. First Shaymin and now the Bidoof in the forest? Something's making them act so weird. Matt swore he'd figure out what, and knowing Tyler, he'd want to do the same thing. He was going to find the people who did that to the Bidoof and Shaymin. Matt tried to not let it bug him, too much though. His first gym battle was right around the corner, and that got him exited enough to get some sleep. He was going to need that energy.


	8. Episode 8: The Great Grass Battle

Episode 8

Morning arrived, and it was time to head off for Eterna City, a short walk from Raymond's cabin. Matt and Tyler were just about to get ready to leave when Raymond called for Matt.

"I have a bit of a gift for ya," Raymond said, holding something behind his back.

"Oh, really?" Matt said, surprised.

"It's my thanks for helping with the Bidoof yesterday." He presented Matt with a green and yellow Pokémon Egg in a glass case. "Here you go!"

"Wow…" Matt said, taking it with care. "Thank you so much." He examined the egg, wondering what Pokémon would come out of it.

"Like I said, it's my gift of thanks. Take care you too, and good luck in your battle!" Matt and Tyler left Raymond's cabin. Soon enough, Eterna City was just on the horizon: along with it, Matt's first gym battle!

"Nervous?" Tyler asked Matt, who seemed a little on edge. Matt nodded. "Yeah, I remember my first gym battle. It was against Roark, actually. He got me down to my last Pokémon before he even lost his first. But thankfully, I had Luxray, who was still a Shinx then. He and I were able to pull through, and I won my battle and my gym badge. At that moment I knew that Luxray and I were going far together."

Matt smiled. His cousin sure liked to reminisce a lot, but Matt didn't mind. It was cool to hear all of his cousin's stories from his adventures as a trainer. The two entered Eterna City, and Matt immediately was scanning the streets for the gym. He wanted to get to his battle as quickly as possible. Suddenly, Matt's eye caught a large red and white Pokéball logo on a wide building just up the street. "There it is!" he shouted.

The young trainer handed Tyler his Pokémon Egg and then began to sprint towards the gym. It was so close, he could feel the rush of the battle already! But just as he was about to get to it, someone appeared around the street corner, also running. The two collided and both fell to the ground.

Matt groaned, holding his head as he sat up to see who he ran into. He instantly recognized the other trainer. "Ricky!"

"Matt!" The two rivals helped each other up. "It's been a while, man, what are you doing here?"

"I'm about to challenge the Eterna Gym," Matt said, pointing to the gym behind them. "It's my first Gym Battle!"

"No way, I just faced that gym yesterday!" Ricky pulled out his badge case and presented Matt with two shiny badges: one from Oreburgh's Gym, the other from Eterna.

"Two badges already?" Matt couldn't believe it. He and Ricky had both started on the same day and he already had two badges. Matt didn't even have one.

"Yeah," Ricky said.

"Wait, why were you running just now?" Matt asked. If Ricky wasn't going to the gym, where was he running to?

"Oh! Right! Follow me!" Ricky grabbed Matt's arm and started dragging him. Tyler, who had just caught up, sighed and started chasing them again.

Ricky finally stopped running in front of a crowd, which was huddled around a store. "What's all the commotion?" Matt asked.

"They're giving away free bikes at the Bike Shop! All you have to do is show that you've won Eterna's Gym Badge and they give you a bike!"

"That's awesome!" Matt said. "But…I don't have my badge just yet…and you sorta pulled me away from getting it…"

"Ha…yeah…sorry about that…" Ricky scratched his head, embarrassed. "Tell ya what, I'll watch your battle, and then we can both get our bikes!"

"Sounds like a plan," Matt nodded. "Last one there's a Slowbro!"

Matt sped off from the bike shop, back towards the gym, Ricky reacting not far after. On the way, they passed Tyler, who seeing them run groaned. "How do those two have so much energy?" He sluggishly turned around and tried to follow them.

Ricky and Matt were head to head, and the gym was only a few feet away. They both touched the door at the same time. Also at the same time, they shouted, "I won! No, it was me!"

At that moment, the door opened, and a lady with red hair and a green poncho stepped out. "Hello gentlemen," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Gardenia," Ricky greeted her. "This here's my friend Matt, he wants to challenge you!"

"Is that so? Well, come on in then. My Pokémon have had a nice, long rest and are ready for another battle." Matt followed the Gym Leader inside. The anteroom to the battlefield was decorated with vines, flowers, and even had a grassy floor. It felt so natural. "If you'd like, you can take off your shoes. It's nice to feel the grass on your feet during the battle."

Matt did as Gardenia suggested, as Tyler walked in the door still holding Matt's Egg, out of breath. "You know, you could slow down a bit." He panted.

Matt shrugged. "I couldn't help it, I was too excited!"

A few minutes had past, and Ricky and Tyler sat in the stands, watching down on Matt, who was confident and ready to face Gardenia. A female referee got up at the halfway line between Matt and Gardenia.

"Introducing our challenger, Matt Cordia from Oreburgh City!" Flower-shaped lights shone on Matt, who had a calm, but ready to act smile on his face. "And now, our glamorous Gym Leader: Gardenia!"

Two giant leaves on the other side of the battlefield parted, almost as if they were blooming into two large, pink flowers. They revealed Gardenia, who elegantly stepped out. "Make this battle a good one, my dear." She winked.

"Since this is the challenger's first Gym Battle, each side will get to use two Pokémon. Only the challenger may switch out Pokémon at any time." The referee continued. Both Matt and Gardenia got into position on either side of the arena. "Battle…Begin!"

"Go, Turtwig!" Gardenia sent out a Grass-Type turtle Pokémon.

Matt took a deep breath, taking in his surroundings. He was going to make this battle count. "Go, Flint!" Matt's first Pokémon gleefully popped out, getting ready for the fight like it does best.

"Turtwig, use Withdraw!" Turtwig spun around, hunkering under a small shell, but raising its defense.

"Flint, use Ember!" Matt shouted. Flint shot a ball of fire at Turtwig, a direct hit! "Nice one!"

"Grass Knot!" Turtwig slammed its foot into the floor, and a small rumbling could be heard. Suddenly, a knot appeared around Flint's foot, bringing it to the ground harshly.

Matt was shocked by the move, but then got an idea. "Use Scratch on the knot, Flint!"

The Torchic moved its other talon to cut the vine using Scratch, freeing Flint from Turtwig's grip. "Alright, Turtwig, Tackle!" Gardenia shouted. The Grass-Type shot at Flint, knocking them both to the ground.

"Let's finish this up, Flint," Matt said, a gleam in his eye. "Use Ember!" Before the two could get up, Flint sent a ball of fire straight at Turtwig, knocking it off of him and creating a bit of smoke. As it cleared, Turtwig appeared barely able to move.

"Turtwig is unable to battle, Flint the Torchic wins!" the referee called, holding up a green flag towards Matt.

"Alright, Flint!" The trainer shouted. "Great battle, return!"

Up in the stands, Ricky said to Tyler, "He's not using Flint for her second Pokémon?"

"He's probably saving Flint's energy for later," Tyler replied. "That battle went on for a while."

"You're a strong trainer, Matt," Gardenia said, pulling out her second Pokéball. "But you'll need a little more than just strength to beat my next Pokémon. Go, Roserade!"

Out from the ball popped the same Grass-Type Pokémon that had saved Matt and Tyler yesterday from the falling tree. "Rose!" It shouted, uncrossing its arms and moving petals around it with grace.

"This should be fun," Matt said. "Go, Raina!" Out from her Pokéball popped Matt's Buizel, eying Gardenia's Roserade.

Ricky looked shocked. "A Water-Type in a Grass Gym?"

"His Buizel's stronger than she looks. Plus, Matt only has two Pokémon right now, so Raina's his only other choice." Tyler said back.

"Alright, Raina, Water Gun!" Matt commanded. Raina's mouth exploded with water as it shot out at Gardenia's Roserade. It dodged it with ease.

"Leech Seed," Gardenia said. From its flower hands, it shot out multiple seeds which latched themselves onto Raina. Suddenly, they began to glow, as green light was sent from the seeds back to Roserade.

"Bui!" Raina screamed, drained of quite a bit of energy.

"Roserade's going to be tough to take down with Raina…" Matt said to himself. At this rate, she wasn't going to last much longer. He'd just need to out-speed her. "Raina, Use Aqua Jet!"

Raina surrounded herself in a fast stream of water, then shot straight at Roserade. Before it could react, Raina slammed into it, not seeming to do much damage, though.

"Grass Knot," Gardenia commanded. Like earlier, two vines appeared from the ground, grabbing Raina as soon as she landed and pulling her to the ground, doing some serious damage.

"Buizel…" Raina struggled to get up. She seemed fine, but as Roserade's Leech Seed activated once again, Raina couldn't stand up anymore. She fell to the ground.

"Raina the Buizel is unable to battle, Roserade wins!" The ref held up a red flag.

"Return, Raina," Matt said. "Thanks for the battle, Raina." Matt switched out his Pokéballs, holding Flint's now. "Let's show her what we're made of. Go, Flint!"

The Torchic popped out, once again ready to fight. "Use Ember!" Matt yelled.

"Grass Knot, Roserade!"

As Flint shot out a ball of fire at the Grass-Type, a vine appeared around its ankle, pulling it to the ground, head first. "Now, Poison Sting!" Gardenia ordered. The Roserade shot out dozens of small, poisonous needles at Flint, who was still on the ground. Flint looked pretty hurt.

"Come on, Flint…" Matt said. "We're so close…You can do it!" Suddenly, Flint started to glow. "No way…"

"He's evolving!" Tyler said, standing up, watching the spectacle.

Flint grew a couple feet in height, his legs became longer, and the feathers on his head became taller. The light, faded away, and there stood Flint's new form. "Combusken!" he shouted confidently.

"Flint, you evolved!" Matt couldn't believe his eyes. Flint nodded, then positioned himself towards the Roserade. "Alright. Flint, use Ember!" Flint shot out a ball of fire, stronger than before, at Roserade, hitting it hard.

Roserade fell a moment after, down for the count.

"Roserade is unable to battle, Flint the Combusken wins, meaning the victory goes to Matt Cordia, the challenger!"

"We did it, Flint!" Matt shouted. Flint cheered, and ran over to Matt, both of them hugging. His first gym battle was done, and he came out victorious.

Ricky, Tyler, Matt, and Gardenia stood outside the gym doors, as Gardenia presented Matt with the Eterna City Gym Badge, Matt's first of many to come.

"I really enjoyed our battle today," Gardenia said. "You show a lot of potential. I can't wait to see where you go in the future. I present you with the Forest Badge."

"Thanks Gardenia," Matt said, taking his badge out of Gardenia's case. "Alright!" he yelled. "I got the Forest Badge!" He looked over the badge with pride."

"So where to now, Matt?" Tyler asked.

"Well, we're just north of Oreburgh…why not stop by home real quick?" Matt suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tyler said.

"But first…" Matt looked at Ricky, and the two both knew what the other was thinking.

Moments later, the two shot out of the Bike Store, Tyler running behind them. "Not again!"


	9. Episode 9: Team Revenant Revealed

Episode 9

_Another day, another run from Team Revenant,_ Lucario thought, perched high atop the rocks, looking down at the bumbling grunts below him. He was on Cycling Road, and has been leading them in circles for days. He smiled. Sure, he was constantly running. But something about leading them away from Matt, saving him, gave Lucario a sense of satisfaction. A Starly started to coo next to him, drawing the attention of Team Revenant. "Up there!" one of them shouted.

Lucario chuckled. Why they sent these two idiots, he will never know. Not that he was complaining, though. He jumped down into a tree, then onto the ground. "Morning, gentlemen!" Lucario said, starting to run from them again. Cycling Road stretched above him, and the scenery around him gave him a very relaxing, yet hectic run.

"So where are you off to now, Ricky?" Matt asked, as the two stood at the exit of Eterna City.

"Well, I figured I'd head out west. I've always wanted to see Canalave City. I've lived next to it my entire life, but I've never been there before."

"I'll see you again soon," Matt said, extending his hand. Ricky shook it, and the two went their separate ways.

Tyler, in the meantime, was studying a map. "It says here Cycling Road will take us down to Oreburgh."

"Don't you need a bike for that?" Matt asked.

Tyler patted his backpack. "Got one this morning. Had to keep up with you and Ricky somehow…"

Matt laughed and started putting his bike together. He carefully set his egg in the basket as he waited for Tyler to set up his. "Let's get a good start down the road, shall we? We can be back home in no time!"

The pair began, taking in the scenery around them. "What a beautiful day for a bike ride, huh?" Tyler asked. "The Starly and Staravia are flying gracefully, the Kricketune are singing beautifully in the trees…" He took a quick whiff of his surroundings. "Ahh…Smells so fresh, too." Tyler swerved slightly on his bike.

"It might be a good idea to watch where you're going, too," Matt said with a smirk. Tyler rolled his eyes, as the two continued on the relaxing bike ride.

Suddenly, Matt saw a faint blue flash below him. "Did you see that?" He asked Tyler.

"See what?" Tyler asked.

"Below us, there was…a flash…It was probably nothing." Matt swore he saw something, but he guessed it was just his imagination. The two reached the end of the path moments later.

"Well, so much for the pretty ride," Tyler said, putting away his bike. Matt did the same, and the two exited the terminal.

Suddenly, Matt saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his left eye. He made eye contact with the Blue Jackal Pokémon, whose face lit up with shock. Lucario quickly shot an Aura Sphere behind him. "No, no, you can't be here!" he shouted. "They're right here!"

"Team Revenant?" Matt asked, scared.

"Yes! Run! Quickly!" Lucario's voice could not have been more urgent.

Matt started to run, but then heard a voice shout, "Haunter, use Mean Look!" A purple ghost Pokémon appeared right before Matt, stopping him in his tracks. Tyler turned around to see the two men from Team Revenant standing there. One called out the command, the other was on his phone. "Boss, we found the kid you've been searching for, he's right here! Right outside of Oreburgh City!"

"Lucario, what's going on?" Tyler shouted.

The Fighting-Type sighed. "I've been leading these guys all around the Sinnoh Region, trying to keep them away from Matt. But now that they've found him…I'm not sure what they'll do." Matt, still frozen from the Mean Look and unable to speak, was scared out of his mind.

The grunts released more Pokémon to surround Matt, Tyler, and Lucario and keep them from moving. A couple of their Ariados tied them up in webs, restricting their movement.

"I am so sorry I got you into this," Lucario said. "It was my responsibility to keep them away from you…and I failed."

"It's not your fault, Lucario," Matt said, able to speak again. "You didn't know I was here."

Lucario sighed. "You are a good soul, Matt. I can sense that about you."

Matt nodded. Lucario didn't mean bad. It's just unfortunate that they ended up in this situation.

After what seemed like hours, a black car pulled up to the group. "Bout time," one of the grunts said under his breath. The back door of the car opened, and out stepped a man in a large, white cape.

"Hm," he said, glaring at the three tied up. "So I've found you at last."

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Matt shouted at him. "I'm just a trainer!"

"My name is Donald. I am the boss of the organization Team Revenant."

Matt noticed a design on Donald's chest. It was the same one on the metal anklets that Shaymin and the Bidoof had. "It was you! You did that to Shaymin and the Bidoof in Eterna Forest!"

"Oh, them? Merely experiments."

"That's all they are to you? Experiments?"

"You'll understand soon enough." Donald played with his fingers, seemingly uninterested.

"I'll stop you! You can't keep doing that to innocent Pokémon!" Matt began to struggle.

"We'll see about that," the man said. "Let him up," he ordered the grunts. They untied Matt and positioned him in front of their boss, a distance between them. "Battle me."

Scared, Matt pulled Raina's Pokéball from his belt. "Raina, Let's Battle!" The Buizel popped out.

"Spiritomb," Donald said. Out from his Pokéball came a gray stone. From the stone, a purple swirl exploded from it, the Pokémon fully emerging.

"Raina, Aqua Jet!" Matt shouted. Raina surrounded herself in water and charged at Spiritomb. But instead of making contact, Raina seemed to almost go through it. "What just happened?" Matt shouted.

"Dark Pulse," Spiritomb let out a wave of Dark Energy, hitting Raina easily, and doing a lot of damage. Raina fell instantly. "Hm, that was easy."

Matt couldn't believe it! His Spiritomb didn't even get hit by Raina's move! He called Raina back and grabbed his other Pokéball. "Flint, Let's Battle!" His newly evolved Combusken appeared and faced Donald's Spiritomb. "Use Ember!"

Flint shot out a ball of Fire, which dissipated across Spiritomb's body, doing no damage. "Pathetic. Use Dark Pulse again." For not being a very effective move, Dark Pulse sure took its toll on Flint. Flint fell to his knees before collapsing just like Raina. Matt returned him, hanging his head in defeat. "That's it?" he asked, shocked. Matt didn't respond.

The Revenant Boss called back his Pokémon. "I was completely wrong about you," he said. "You are no threat. Let them go." The grunts untied Tyler and Lucario, as the boss got back in his car. "Can't believe I've wasted my time on some kid," was the last thing Matt heard before the door was shut and the car drove away. The two grunts grumbled, and started to leave.

Matt's head still drooped in shame, as Tyler and Lucario walked over to him. "You did not lose to him fairly," Lucario said.

"He destroyed me…" Matt replied. "I never stood a chance."

"Exactly," Lucario said bluntly.

Tyler became outraged. "Look, if you're gonna start something about Matt being-"

"You fool!" Lucario shouted. "The plans I saw, that's what was happening with Spiritomb. It had nothing to do with Matt's battling ability. Their Pokémon cannot be harmed by anything, that's their plan!"

"If their Pokémon can't be harmed…They can't be stopped," Matt said.

"Precisely. But I believe there is a way to stop them."

"What's that?" Matt and Tyler asked simultaneously.

Lucario looked up at Mount Coronet, the center of the Sinnoh region, which was only a matter of yards away, clearly in view. "I don't know yet. But there's something I need to say first."

"What's that?" Matt asked.

The Fighting-Type knelt before Matt. "Though you failed in battle, I was able to sense something in you that I rarely sense in anyone. Matt, you have the greatest spirit I have ever seen from a human. And if you'd allow me to, I'd like to travel alongside you. As your Pokémon."

Matt's eyes widened. "You do?"

Lucario nodded. "But I cannot right now. I must hone my skills more first, and do a bit of studying up there, on Mount Coronet. Being on the run from those two grunts for so long has depleted my energy greatly. But I promise you, we will meet again. And when that time comes, I would be honored to serve you." He bowed his head.

"Lucario?" Matt said. "I'll gladly take you up on that offer."

The Blue Jackal stood up, extending his paw. Matt shook it, and at the same time, the two said, "Until next time." And with that, Lucario went off to Mount Coronet. Matt and Tyler went towards Oreburgh, just south of them now, for a quick stop home right before Matt's second Gym Battle.


	10. Episode 10: The Homefront

Episode 10

"Is he coming, is he coming?" Two young eyes looked out the window, awaiting his brother's return home. It had only been about a week since Matt had left, but Alex Cordia missed his brother already. "Is that him? No, that's just a tree…Is that him? No, wait…it's just a Machoke. Is that…no…"

Alex's mom laughed behind him. "Relax, Alex. Matt said he'd be home soon, I'm sure he's on his way.

Sure enough, Matt had taken extra measures to ensure he'd surprise his brother upon his return. He made sure he wouldn't be seen from any of his windows as he slowly entered the back door, out of Alex's sight. His mom saw Matt, but he put a finger to his mouth. She understood what he was about to do, so she kept quiet.

After mistaking several Pokémon, formations, and a windmill for his brother, Alex began to turn around with his head down, sad that his brother wasn't there yet. In his line of sight was a pair of red pants. Alex only knew one person that wore those. He tilted his head up and stared his brother straight in the eye. "Hey Alex," Matt said with a huge smile.

"Matt!" Alex yelled, excitement overcoming him. He leapt up at Matt, who caught him and gave him a big hug. "You're home!"

"I sure am, buddy." Matt said, putting his brother down. At that moment, Tyler came in the door, holding Matt's Pokémon egg.

"You know, usually the trainer the egg belongs to is the one that should carry it." Tyler noted as he set the egg on the kitchen table.

"Nice to see you both again," Matt's mom said, as the four of them congregated around the kitchen table. "I'm sure you've been travelling for a while, why don't you have some lunch?"

"I'd love some," Matt said, putting his hat on the back of his chair. "What are we having?"

"It'll take a bit to make," Matt's mom said, taking some stuff out of the refrigerator. "In the meantime, why not show Alex your Pokémon?"

"Can you, Matt? Can you? I wanna see all the Pokémon you got!" Alex was jumping out of his seat.

"Sure thing, bro. Follow me outside." Instead of following Matt, however, Alex bolted outside, not giving Matt a chance to move. Shaking his head, Matt went outside and took his two Pokéballs from his belt. "Come on out, you two!" Flint and Raina both came out of their Pokéballs, calling out in delight. "I'd like you both to meet my little brother, Alex. I think you've already met Flint, though, right?"

Alex looked at the Combusken, newly evolved. "Is this Torchic?"

Matt nodded. "He evolved during my first Gym Battle. I'll show you the badge later." Alex beamed. "And this right here," Matt continued, putting his hand on Raina's shoulder, "Is the first Pokémon I technically caught. This is Raina, a Buizel."

Raina nodded her head. "Bui," she said, and Alex approached her, scratching under her chin. Raina closed her eyes and tilted her head up, liking the scratching.

"I think she likes you," Matt noted. Alex was overjoyed getting to meet Matt's Pokémon.

"Do you have any more?" he asked.

"Sorry, bud; these are the only two I've caught so far. But don't worry. I've got an egg sitting in the kitchen, and by the next time I see you, I'll have loads more!"

Alex smiled, still petting Raina. "I can't wait! I'm so jealous of you and Tyler, though, Matt. You get to go on an amazing journey, and this is Tyler's second. I wanna go travel with Pokémon so badly…"

Matt ruffled his hair. "You'll get a chance to go soon enough, bro. And I'll be cheering for you every step of the way." Alex looked up at Matt, his eyes beaming with excitement.

"Boys, lunch is ready!" their mom called. Matt recalled his Pokémon and the two ran inside. On the table lay four grilled cheese sandwiches, chips for all, and four glasses of milk.

"Fresh from Bessie, I assume?" Matt asked, taking a sip of milk. Bessie was his mother's Miltank. Matt's mom sold milk to all of Oreburgh, it was the best around! His mother nodded, and Matt set his glass down, refreshed. "I have to say, this is one of the things I've missed about home: fresh milk." The four sat down and chowed down, enjoying the delicious food made for them. After a while, Matt glanced down at his belt, and thought of his Pokémon. "Hey, mom, do we have any Pokémon food? I'm sure these two are getting pretty hungry."

"Let me check," she got up, looking through the cabinets. In the meantime, Alex went up to Tyler, asking him to see his Pokémon.

Tyler laughed. "I haven't caught any new Pokémon yet. All I have is Luxray, and you've met him before." Tyler let Luxray out. Matt decided to do the same with Raina and Flint, letting all of them stretch for a while. Luxray rubbed the side of his head on Alex's recognizing his friend. Alex scratched Luxray's ear, and the Electric-Type smiled.

Mrs. Cordia laid down three bowls of Pokémon food. "Dig in!" She said. The Pokémon ran over, each chowing down.

Matt knelt down beside Raina, who was on the end. "How does it taste?" He asked. Despite how well Raina did in battle, Matt still felt like he wasn't connected with her, that she didn't trust him fully.

Raina swallowed what she was chewing and replied with a "Bui" and a smile. At least she looks happy, Matt thought. He looked at Flint next. Ever since his journey began, Flint's been right there with him. Looking at him evolved, Matt couldn't wait to get Flint's power fully realized. Even with just two Pokémon, Matt had formed a great bond with both. Sure, he felt a bit distant from Raina. But there was something between them, a spirit to fight, that pulled them together. Matt knew that, and he felt like Raina did, too.

"Can I see your badge now Matt? Huh? Can I?" The family was sitting in the living room, watching TV and resting when Alex raised the question.

"I nearly forgot," Matt said, taking his badge case out of his bag. He opened it up, the shiny green badge sparkling. Alex pointed to it, it silently asking if he could feel it. Matt nodded. Alex took it from the case with care, eying it with awe. Matt couldn't help but smile at his brother's excitement. He could tell Alex will make a great trainer someday.

"So when are you getting your next badge? Can I watch you, please?" Alex gave Matt his badge back, but his face still beamed with excitement.

"Well, seeing as how there's a gym right in town…I'd challenge Roark tomorrow. These two look pretty ready to me." Raina, Flint, and Luxray were all outside of their Pokéballs, playing on the floor behind the couch.

"That means I can come and see you!" Alex was practically jumping off of the walls.

"We'll all watch him together," Tyler said. He looked down at his Pokétch. "But it's getting pretty late. You should get some rest so you'll have enough energy for your battle tomorrow."

Matt nodded, and went upstairs to his room. "Nice to be back in my bed," he said, crawling in. "Though I'm not going to be here for long…" He yawned, looking up at the ceiling. It's only been a week, and already Matt has been through so much. He thought about his excitement both receiving and catching his first Pokémon. He thought about the trainers he's met; his battles with Ricky and Gold, as well as his battle with Gardenia. Though those were happy memories, he couldn't help but think of Lucario and of Team Revenant. What were they planning? And why couldn't he do anything to Donald's Spiritomb? Matt knew he had to do something about them, but he was too weak to do it now. _Soon enough_, he thought. _Soon, I'll be able to take them down; for Lucario, for everyone_. With these thoughts, Matt closed his eyes, fantasizing about his gym battle tomorrow. Though soon after his last one, he was going to be sure to make it just as great.


	11. Episode 11: A Hatched Hero!

Episode 11

Matt was in a dark place. He couldn't see his hand in front of his own face or anything around him. "Hello?!" he shouted. It echoed, but Matt felt only emptiness around him.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of purple and green, as a giant Spiritomb appeared before him. It seemed to have a smug smile on its face as someone stepped out from behind it, twice as tall. It was Donald, the leader of Team Revenant. "Dark Pulse," Donald ordered. Spiritomb chuckled before unleashing a wave of dark energy directed at Matt. He screamed, as the Dark matter surrounded him, going inside of him painfully. "You won't dare to defeat me. What a waste." Laughter and pain surrounded Matt for what seemed like hours. Matt tried to scream, but nothing would come out.

He sprang up, throwing the covers off of him, breathing heavily. The sun was just coming through the blinds, right into Matt's eyes. _Just a dream…_ he thought. Just then, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He froze, turning his head slightly until his little brother came into view. He stopped being tense. "Phew. Alex, what are you doing in here so early?"

"Waiting for you to wake up so we could go to your Gym Battle right away…"

Matt looked at his alarm clock. "It's Seven Thirty, Alex; the Gym's not open yet. Tell you what, though. Let's get some breakfast, wait a couple hours, and then go see if Roark's ready, ok?"

Alex nodded, running out of Matt's room and downstairs to get breakfast. He couldn't wait to see Matt's battle. It was going to be so cool! He sat down at the table, digging into a waffle as Matt came into the kitchen. Tyler and his mother were both awake, eating as well. Matt sat down, too.

"It's Hard to believe your second Gym Battle's already around the corner, eh, Matt?" Tyler said, sipping his orange juice.

"Yeah," Matt replied. "It seems like only yesterday I was fighting Gardenia."

"Well, it was only a few days ago," Tyler noted. "Cycling road got us here pretty quickly."

"True. But either way, my second Gym Battle's today. I'm going to ace it!" Matt couldn't wait. But he was suddenly reminded of the dream he had right before he woke up. The fight with Donald went terribly, Matt never stood a chance. Was he really that weak…?

Alex began tugging on Matt's sleeve. "Come on, Matt, or we'll be late!" Matt couldn't help but smile at his brother.

"Let's go then, shall we?" Matt picked up his egg, holding it with care. "I wonder what you'll become," he thought aloud. Suddenly, the egg started to glow. "Whoa, what's going on?"

"It's hatching!" Tyler said, excitedly. "Quick, get it out of its case."

Matt turned the handle on top of the case, opening it and revealing the glowing green egg. The four watched it closely. Soon, the egg slowly changed form. It stayed about the same size, but grew two connected extensions on top. The light cleared, and a small green Grass-Type sat there, looking up at Matt. "Budew!" It cried softly.

"Whoa," Matt pulled out his Pokédex.

"Budew, the Bud Pokémon. Budew lives alongside clear ponds. It scatters pollen that induces harsh sneezing and runny noses."

"Just like Raymond to give you a Budew," Tyler said. Budew gleefully jumped on Matt's shoulder, using its vines to swing around his body and arms. "What moves does it know?"

Matt looked down at his Pokédex as it scanned Budew. "Let's see…only two. Absorb and Razor Leaf."

"It knows Razor Leaf? Wow, Raymond really outdid himself. Budew can't usually learn Razor Leaf on its own. That's a pretty useful move you got there, especially for a Rock-Type Gym."

"Yeah," Matt said, Budew still jumping around him. "I suppose I have to give you a nickname, too." Matt tried to think of a name for it, but couldn't. "Maybe I'll wait to see what you can really do in battle, huh?" Budew jumped onto the table, nodding. It seemed to like that idea.

"Alright, Budew, return," Matt said, putting it in its new Pokéball. "Welcome to the team."

"Hello?" Matt called out. They were all standing in front of the Oreburgh Gym, waiting for a response. "I'm here for a Gym Battle!"

"What's taking Roark?" Tyler asked. "Usually, he's right on top of things. You think something happened at the mines?"

"I hope not," Matt said. "Last time that happened, Roark was out of battling for weeks…"

His mom looked at him. "And, you know, it's dangerous for him and the miners and everyone…"

Suddenly, the doors opened, and a young miner around Tyler's age walked out. "Oh, hey you guys, what's up?"

"Roark, I'm here for a battle!" Matt said excitedly. "You said you'd battle me as soon as I got a Gym Badge, right?"

Roark laughed. "I did say that. I've been looking forward to our battle for a while, actually. But it'll have to wait until later today; I gotta run down to the mines real quick and take care of some business. Want to come with?"

Matt nodded. "Could Alex come, too?"

"Oh, I suppose. Come on, you two, let's go." Roark led them to the south of town, where the mines were. Matt had been there many times before, but he never got tired of it. The mines were built deep into the side of the mountain as well as deep into the ground. There was so much ore to be found. Roark found a mine worker and went up to him. "What seems to be the problem, Tom?"

"One of the main support beams down under gave way, and we're having trouble getting a new one down there. So many people are out sick today, we don't have enough workers to mine safely," The miner said.

"How are they doing in there right now?"

"They've got a couple Machamp trying to move the rubble out of the way, but it's going pretty slowly. They'll get out by the end of the day, but one of the men injured his leg when the ceiling fell. We need to get supplies to him and the others quickly, but we don't know how."

Roark looked into the tunnel. "Take me to them." He began to follow the miner into the tunnel, Matt and Alex behind him.

"You sure you should be taking two kids in here? It's dangerous."

"Relax," Roark said. "I've known these kids their entire lives, they can handle it."

The four delved deeper into the mines, until a few lanterns lit up a wall of rocks. "Here we are," Tom the miner said. To the guys on the other side, he yelled, "I got Roark here, guys. He'll get you out soon."

Roark examined the wall, trying to think of a way to get them out or at least get supplies to them. His eyes came across a small opening at the top, where light seemed to come through from the other side. "If we had a small enough Pokémon, we could send the health supplies through there."

Matt instantly thought of Budew. "I…think I may have one that can help." He pulled out his Pokéball and let Budew out.

"Budew?" it questioned.

Matt bent down. "Budew, I know you're really young, but there's something I need you to do for us, ok?" The Pokémon nodded, smiling widely.

Tom took some bandages and sprays from his backpack and put it in a tiny bag. "Think it can carry this through there?" he asked, handing the bag to Matt. Matt nodded, tying to bad around Budew's vines.

"Give it your best shot," Matt said. Budew nodded, and started climbing the rocks nimbly. Soon enough, it was at the top, right next to the opening.

Budew appeared at the top on the other side of the rocks to the miners. "Budew! Bud!" it called out, gaining their attention. One of the miners came over to catch Budew as he jumped down with the bag.

"Thanks for the help, Budew," the miner said, taking the bag from its vines. "Send my thanks to your trainer." He set Budew back up at the opening and it walked back to the other side.

"Way to go!" Matt yelled, as he caught Budew. "You did great. Return, Budew."

"That Budew's pretty nimble," Roark noted. "I'd love to see it in our gym battle."

"Thanks," Matt said, putting the Pokéball back on his belt. "But Budew just only hatched today. I'm not sure if I it should be battling so soon."

Roark chuckled. "Well, if you want, I actually have an apprentice who's been perfecting a technique for training Pokémon. Maybe he could help you out with training your Budew?"

Matt thought it over. "Well, Budew does seem eager to battle. Let's give it a shot."

"So you're Matt, huh? I think I've seen you around town a couple times," Roark's apprentice, a couple years older than Matt said, greeting him. "Let's see your Budew."

Matt took out his Budew's Pokéball, letting it out. It squealed happily.

"The name's Eric, by the way," the guy said, taking out his own Pokéball. "Go, Roggenrola!" He shouted, throwing out a small Rock-Type Pokémon. "Now, what moves does your Budew know?"

"Absorb and Razor Leaf," Matt replied.

"Ah, great moves to use in a Rock-Type gym," Eric replied. "Roggenrola, Iron Defense!" Roggenrola shined itself off, increasing its defense. "Now, attack us."

"Budew, use Razor Leaf!" Matt called. Budew opened its vines, releasing a ton of leaves firing at Roggenrola.

"Light Screen!" Eric called again.

"Use Razor Leaf again, Budew!"

"Great," Eric said. "Keep attacking us." For a while afterwards, Matt and Eric went back and forth. Eric would raise his defenses, and Matt would attack. Eventually, Eric called out, "Power Trick!" Roggenrola spun around.

"What does that do?" Matt asked.

"It switches a Pokémon's Attack and Defense stats. Attack us one last time."

"Alright, Budew, Absorb!"

Budew drained energy from Roggenrola, who fainted right afterwards. "Return, Roggenrola," Eric said.

"So you purposely had Roggenrola faint?" Matt asked, a little confused.

"Yep. It seems like a strange method, but letting Roggenrola faint allows your Budew there to get a ton of experience. He should be all ready to face Roark now."

"Wow," Matt said. "Thanks so much."

After a heroic effort for Matt's newly hatched Pokémon Budew, and a creative training effort given to him, Matt is perfectly prepared for his next Gym Battle against Roark. What will the battle entail? Find out next time on Pokémon Dimensions!


	12. Episode 12: Rocky Roark

Episode 12

"Alright, Matt!" Alex yelled, sitting in the stands inside the Oreburgh Gym. It was finally time for him to see Matt in a Gym Battle, he couldn't wait for it! "You can win!"

Matt nodded up towards his brother, mom, and Tyler in the stands, all sitting together. He knew how much this battle meant for Alex, so he wanted to make sure he did his best. Plus, Matt was only one battle away from his second badge. The excitement was building up in him; he was really close to it!

The referee took his podium in the center of the battlefield. "Welcome to the Oreburgh City Gym. Today's gym battle will consist of a Three on Three Battle. Only the challenger may switch their Pokémon at any time. Please welcome, from right here in Oreburgh City, the challenger: Matt Cordia!"

Matt stepped into the battle arena, scoping it out. There were multiple rocks jutting out of the ground, no doubt a way for Roark to get the upper hand. Matt took note of them, hoping they'd help him instead of Roark. He could only hope, though.

"And now, presenting the Gym Leader: Roark!" The referee called. Much like Gardenia, Roark also had a flashy entrance. On the other side of the battlefield was a giant rock. As the ref spoke, a pickaxe started to chop through the rock, until Roark was able to leap out of it, twirling his pick. "Battlers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Alright," Roark said. "Go, Geodude!" Out from Roark's Pokéball popped a ball of rock with arms.

"Geodude!" It called, taking its position.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt called out, sending out his Buizel.

"Bui Bui!" She faced her opponent, eager to battle.

"Battle, begin!" the referee called.

"Geodude, use Rock Polish!" The Rock-Type shined itself, raising its speed greatly.

"Raina, use Water Gun!" Matt called. Raina shot a stream of water from her mouth at Geodude, who dodged it with amazing speed. "I didn't know a Geodude could move so fast," Matt said, caught off guard.

"You'd be surprised at what Rock Polish can do," Roark said. "Now, use Rock Throw!" Geodude summoned rocks from the ground, and threw them at Raina, hitting her directly.

"You ok, Raina?" Matt called. The Water-Type got back up on her feet quickly. "Great. So he wants speed, does he? Use Aqua Jet!"

Raina engulfed herself in water and charged at the Geodude, hitting it head on. It took quite a bit of damage, but could still fight.

"Stealth Rock," Roark commanded. The Rock-Type summoned multiple floating rocks, which surrounded Matt's side of the battlefield.

"What does that do?" Alex asked Tyler up in the stands.

"Stealth Rock makes it so that any time Matt switches in a Pokémon, it will do damage immediately," Tyler replied. "I think Roark knows that his Geodude will be finished off soon, so I bet he's looking ahead to the rest of the battle."

"Aqua Jet again, Raina!" Matt's Buizel swiftly attacked Roark's Pokémon again, knocking it into a large rock, it falling to the floor.

"Geodude is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins!" He held up a green flag towards Matt. He was up, but he knew Roark wouldn't be going down so easily.

"Go, Onix!" Roark sent out a giant Rock-Snake Pokémon, ten times the size of the poor Buizel.

"Raina, use Water Gun!" Matt called. Raina shot water at Onix, who only seemed to take a little bit of damage.

"Onix, use Wrap!" Onix shot towards Raina, wrapping around her and constricting her.

"Bui!" She called out in pain.

"Raina, use Aqua Jet, try to get out of there!" Matt called. Raina tried to follow the command, but Onix's grip was too strong.

"Rock Tomb," Roark said, as rocks fell from the ceiling onto Raina. She couldn't take much more.

"Raina, you can do it!" Matt yelled. "Use Water Gun in Onix's face!" She was able to do as Matt commended. The Buizel jumped free and landed, but wasn't able to stand. She fell.

"Raina the Buizel is unable to battle, Onix wins!" The man held the red flag towards Roark. They were now tied.

"Thanks a lot, Raina," Matt said, returning her. "You did fantastic." He put her Pokéball back on his belt, taking out his next one. "Flint, Let's Battle!"

"Combusken!" The Fire-Type called. The pointed rocks dug into him, doing a small amount of damage. Flint had a new move Matt was dying to try out.

"Alright, Flint, use Double Kick!" Flint ran towards the Onix before jumping into the air. He then landed on the Rock-Type with one foot, kicking off of him with the other. Onix seemed to take a lot of damage.

"Nice hit," Roark said. "Use Dig, Onix." The Rock-Snake burrowed into the ground, leaving a hole in its place.

Matt knew that if Onix hit Flint, it would be a super-effective hit. "Just hand tight, Flint," Matt said. He scanned the ground, waiting for it to break. Suddenly, rocks flew up, and Onix shot free, slamming into Flint and knocking him backwards. "Quick, Flint, use Double Kick!" Flint got back into focus, kicking Onix up and then towards Roark, it slamming into the ground, dust filling the air. Flint landed, having taken a lot of damage.

The dust cleared around Onix, and it laid immobile. "Onix is unable to battle, Flint the Combusken wins!" The ref called. Roark only had one Pokémon left, but Flint had taken a lot of damage.

"I've been waiting for a battle like this," Roark said, calling back his Onix. "You're really strong, you know?"

"Thanks, Roark," Matt replied.

"But I'm not quite done yet. Go, Rampardos!" Out from Roark's Pokéball came a giant, blue and black dinosaur. It roared, staring down Flint, who stared right back. "Rock Polish." Rampardos seemed to shine itself, increasing its speed greatly.

"Use Double Kick, Flint!" Matt called. Flint lunged toward Rampardos, hitting it with one foot, but it dodged the other.

"Rock Tomb," Roark said, as Rampardos made rocks fall from the ceiling, trapping Flint.

"Flint, try to knock the rocks away with Double Kick!" Matt called. Flint began kicking the rocks surrounding him, but they wouldn't budge.

"Smack Down," Roark said. Rampardos charged towards Flint, breaking through the rocks. It lifted Flint up, and crashed him down onto one of the rocks jutting out of the battlefield.

"Flint, are you ok?" Matt called out.

"Busk…en…" Flint called weakly.

"Flint the Combusken is unable to battle, Rampardos wins!" The red flag was raised, and the two were tied again.

"You did great, Flint," Matt said, calling his Combusken back. "Take a good rest." Matt took out his last Pokéball, his new Budew's. He knew it didn't have much battle experience, but it was his only hope. "Budew, Let's Battle!"

The Grass-Type came out of its ball. "Budew! Dew!" it cried.

"Thanks for the help yesterday, Budew," Roark said. "I've been waiting to battle you. Rampardos, use Smack Down!"

"Dodge it, Budew!" Matt called. Rampardos charged at Budew, but Budew got out of the way at the last second with incredible speed. "Alright, now use-" Matt started, but then couldn't see where Budew was. "Where'd he go?" Roark was just as confused. Matt scanned the battlefield, then noticed Budew hiding under one of the rocks, in its shadow. "Use Razor Leaf, Budew!" Matt called.

Roark watched as leaves shot out from behind one of the rocks, hitting his Rampardos. "Wow, that's amazing," he said to himself.

"Budew hid itself!" Alex cried from the stands. "Matt's gonna win!"

"I must say, Budew's ability to hide like that is remarkable," Tyler responded to Alex. "However, Rampardos is really strong. Matt won't have a very easy time defeating him."

Matt couldn't believe that Budew was able to hide that well. "Alright Budew, use Absorb!" Budew drew energy from Rampardos, healing itself.

"Smack Down again, Rampardos!" Rampardos charged at Budew again, this time grabbing it.

"Use Absorb again!" At the same time as Rampardos slammed it into the ground, Budew took energy from Rampardos, lessening the blow. Both Pokémon were feeling weak. "Hide under the rocks again," Matt said. Before Rampardos could see, Budew hid under a rock behind him, almost unnoticeable.

"Keep your guard up," Roark said. Rampardos scanned the battlefield, looking for the small, green Pokémon.

"Absorb!" Matt called. Budew drew energy from Rampardos, undetected. The green wisps of energy revealed its location, and Roark took note.

"There he is, Smack Down!" Rampardos charged at the rock.

"Gotcha," Matt said, grinning. "Dodge it!"

Rampardos slammed down onto the rock, but Budew was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Roark yelled.

"Razor Leaf!" From a nearby rock, many tiny leaves shot out at Rampardos, delivering a decisive blow. Rampardos fell to the ground.

"Rampardos is unable to battle. Budew wins, meaning the victor is Matt from Oreburgh City!"

"He did it!" Alex called. "That was so cool!" His brother won another gym badge, and Alex got to see such a great battle.

"Matt's certainly got some creative ideas in his battle style," Tyler said.

"Come here, Budew!" Matt called, and Budew joyfully hopped over to him. Suddenly, Budew began to glow. "No way, you're evolving!" Budew grew a couple of inches, forming longer legs. Its vines grew off to its sides, forming into arms with flowers on the end. The glow went away, and Matt's newly evolved Pokémon stood there.

"Roselia!" It said, its voice now distinctly feminine.

"Whoa, a Pokémon evolution!" Alex cried, having run onto the battlefield with Matt. "That was so cool! And you battled so well, Matt!"

Matt laughed. "Thanks, buddy. I'm glad you were able to watch such a thrilling battle." He bent down to Roselia. "So, I think I have the perfect name for you after such an awesome battle. How do you like the name Shade?"

The Grass-Type nodded, its arms crossed. "Rose! Roselia!"

"Great. Thanks for an awesome battle, Shade. Return!"

"After such an amazing battle, I'd like to present you with the Coal Badge." Roark greeted Matt, Tyler, Alex, and their mom outside of the gym. He handed Matt the badge, who placed it in his badge case.

"Thanks for such an awesome battle, Roark," Matt said.

"Thank you," Roark replied. "I haven't had a battle like that in a long time. You really earned that badge." He extended his hand, which Matt shook.

"Listen, I gotta get back to the mines. Good luck on the rest of your journey!" And with that, Roark was gone.

"So where to now, Matt?" Tyler asked. "May I suggest Hearthome City?"

"Sounds like a plan," Matt said back.

"Do you really have to go so soon, Matt?" Alex asked. He didn't want to see his brother go again.

Matt bent down. "I'll be back again someday Alex. And then, I'll be even stronger. You can count on it."

Matt and Tyler left Oreburgh that night, waving goodbye to Matt's mom and Alex. When they were out of view, Matt's mom put her hand down to stop waving. "Well, let's go home, Alex." She looked down to her side, no one was there. "Alex? Where'd you go?"


	13. Episode 13: The Cave's Secret

Episode 13

Matt looked skyward at the large mountain in front of him. Since he lived so close to the mountain, he could easily see it from his house. But it was a whole new story up close. "Can we go around it?" Matt asked.

Tyler's head was craned up just as much. "Nope."

"So then we gotta go through it, huh?"

"Yep."

"Let's get to it, then," Matt said. "The sooner we get in, the sooner we can get out the other side."

"Everything ok, Matt?" Tyler asked, sensing his cousin's haste. The two just entered the cave.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that the battle I had with that Donald guy…I couldn't do anything! And what Lucario said back in Jubilife; I was supposed to be the one to stop them. They had my picture and everything, like I was a threat. I was supposed to stop them. But I couldn't."

"It did seem like something was up with Donald's Spiritomb, though. It seemed like you were never going to hit it."

"Thanks for the cheering up," Matt said.

Tyler was taken aback. "No, uh, I didn't mean you were weak or anything, I just, uh, meant that his Spiritomb was being protected or something. Something that prevented you from hitting it."

Matt stopped for a second. "You may be onto something actually."

"So all we need to do is figure out what that is, and we'll be able to stop him, right?"

"I hope so. But for now, all we can do is just move forward, right?"

Tyler nodded. "Right."

The two were in the middle of the mountain now, the ending not in sight. "We're going the right way, right?" Matt asked.

"I think so," Tyler said, pulling out his map. "Maybe if we-" Tyler was cut off by a loud cry. "What was that?"

"It sounds like a lot of Zubat," Matt said, looking behind them. "Almost like they're attacking something."

"We gotta go check it out," Tyler said urgently. The two ran back, looking for the hoard of Zubat. Suddenly, Matt saw a cluster of blue and purple over a rock and pointed to it. Matt and Tyler ran as quickly as they could. When they got close, they could hear a voice on the inside.

"Hey, get off of me!" It was a young voice, and Matt recognized it easily.

"Alex, is that you!?" Matt called out, extremely worried.

"Matt! Help!" Matt could hear Alex start to cry.

"Go, Raina!"

"You, too, Luxray!"

The Water and Electric-Types leapt out of their balls, facing the wild Zubat.

"Raina, use Water Gun and douse all of the Zubat!" Matt called out.

"Bui Bui!" The Buizel sprayed water over all of the Poison-Types.

"Now, Luxray, use Discharge!"

"Luxray! Lux….ray!" The Electric Lion shot multiple lightning bolts at the Zubat. Since they were wet, the electricity affected them a lot more. They all scurried away. As soon as they did, Alex got up and ran to Matt, clinging onto him.

"They were everywhere!" Alex said. "I just stepped in the cave and they started attacking me!"

Matt bent down and held his brother close. "What are you doing here, Alex? You should be at home."

"I…wanted to come with you…" Alex said, tears falling. "You left so soon and I didn't want to say goodbye so quickly and I wanted to travel with you and Tyler…"

"You should have stayed home with Mom," Matt said. "I'm sure she's worried sick about you!"

"I-I'm sorry, Matt!" Alex began to cry more. Matt sighed.

"It's ok, buddy. We'll get you to a safe place, but for now, stay close to us, ok?" Alex nodded, and they stood up. To Tyler, Matt said, "We're too far away from Oreburgh to go all the way back there. Hell, I don't even know where we are in this cave. Do you think that when we get to Hearthome, he can stay at your parents' house?" As he was saying this, he called back Raina.

"Sure thing. You can stay there as long as you'd like, buddy." Tyler said. "Let's try to find our way out, shall we?" Matt nodded. The trio travelled a bit before getting into a really dark part of the cave.

"Man, I can't see anything in here…Luxray, use Flash." The Electric-Type lit up its tail, pointing the light forward. "Thanks Luxray." They were able to see a little better now, but still had a really hard time finding their way out of the cave.

"Are we lost?" Alex asked.

"At least for now," Tyler said, as they stepped into a somewhat deeper part of the cave, into what seemed like an underwater pool. "This looks like a good of place as any to rest for a bit, though. What do you guys think?"

Matt was already pulling a small lantern out of his backpack. "I'm up for it." Matt set the lantern down, stretching. The light would give Luxray a chance to rest. "Time for lunch, too?"

"I'd say so. This is such a beautiful cave, though, I've never seen anything like it. If only I had my camera on me."

"Come on out, guys, lunchtime!" Matt said, releasing his three Pokémon.

"Busken!"

"Bui Bui!"

"Roselia! Rose!"

Raina immediately jumped into the pool. Matt was sure it was relaxing for her. Flint and Shade remained on shore, crowding around Matt and Alex as Tyler prepared lunch. Luxray was sitting high up on a rock, watching over them all, like a protector. He felt good up there, as his eyes scanned all around the cave. Suddenly, his eyes came across something in the pool, something that glowed slightly. "Lux! Luxray!" He shouted at Raina, telling her to swim down to it.

"What's going on, Luxray?" Tyler asked, looking up at his Electric-Type.

"In the pool!" Matt said, point to where Raina was. She swam down and pressed what seemed to be a switch. A rumbling was heard, and the wall farthest from them started to open up. Raina popped out of the water, looking at the opening wall.

"What's over there?" Alex said, no light shining to the newly discovered cave. Matt picked up the lantern and shone it over, and revealed some sort of shrine. It was a remarkable sight.

Tyler walked over to it, immediately taking out Rowan's journal. As he got closer, he could make out a triangle. On each corner was a Pokémon: Dialga, Lord of Time on the bottom left, Palkia, Lord of Space on the bottom right, Giratina, Lord of Dimensions on the top. A vivid drawing of Arceus stood in the center of it all. "This is amazing…but why would they hide something like this?"

"I'm not sure," Matt said coming up behind him. He walked up close to it, running his hand over the painting, feeling it under his fingers. A bit of light shone seemed the shine through each corner of the triangle. "I wonder…" Matt put his hand on Palkia, putting a bit of pressure on it. To his surprise, it moved! "Tyler, you might want to come look at this," Matt said.

The two cousins examined the wall, looking for more things like Palkia's drawing. They pressed in Dialga and Giratina's corners as well, but it nothing seemed to happen.

"Arceus?" Matt asked, pointing to the large painting in the middle.

"Might as well try," Tyler replied, as both of them put their hands on the giant Arceus painting. The pushed in, and it began to glow a very regal gold. "This is incredible!" Tyler jotted down as much stuff as he could about their find into Rowan's journal. He couldn't imagine what they had just discovered. Maybe it was built by an ancient society. Or maybe it was made by the Legendary Pokémon. Whatever it was, the answer was right behind the glowing wall.

The wall split in two, and began to move apart, revealing a chest just behind it. Matt went up to it. "I wonder what's inside," he said. It looked like the stone hadn't been moved or seen for who knows how long, but the chest remained in perfect condition. He ran his fingers on the lock. "Hey, Flint, come on up here!" Matt called over to his Combusken, who was with Alex. The Fire-Type trotted up to his trainer. "Try using a small Ember on this lock to see if you can melt it off."

"Combusken," Flint said, nodding. He blew out a really weak flame at the lock, making it a little warmer and warmer as time went on. No matter how hot Flint got, though, the lock stayed on.

"Bummer," Tyler said. "All of this for nothing. There must be something really important in that chest."

Matt stood up. "Maybe someday we'll find out what's in here. But for now, we should probably keep heading through the mountain and get out so I can call my mom and tell her about Alex."

"Good idea," Tyler replied. As soon as the group left the underground pool, the walls closed behind them, sealing the secret off.

They started through the cave again, heading to the exit of the mountain. "See it anywhere?" Matt asked, searching for outside light.

Tyler glanced far off to the other side of the cave. "Yep, not too far now," he replied.

The three exited the cave not far later. "Nice to be outside," Matt said. Hearthome City was just ahead of them. After saving his brother from a horde of Zubats and finding a secret cave inside Mt. Coronet, Matt was ready to relax a bit in Hearthome before his next gym battle.


	14. Episode 14: On Route to Hearthome

Episode 14

"Gull! Wingull!" Dozens of Wingull and Pellipper flew overhead, calling out. The sun shone through, beating down on Matt, Tyler, and Alex as they travelled along to Hearthome City.

"How much longer until we get there?" Alex asked, starting to trudge along.

"Hey, you're the one who snuck away to come with us," Matt said lightheartedly. "We'll be there soon. But for now, enjoy the beautiful day outside!"

"Yeah, you're right…" Alex said. They were crossing a bridge over a river right next to a roaring waterfall. It was loud, but a beautiful sight nonetheless. If they looked close enough into it, they could even see a rainbow. They stopped on the bridge, admiring the cascade.

Tyler stuck his hand out, the only one able to reach the waterfall. He stuck it inside, letting the water run over his hand. After such chaos the past few days, it was great to relax a bit. He knew Matt felt the same way, and why he was looking forward to their time in Hearthome. They'd probably stay there a little bit longer than usual, but he'd let Matt decide then.

After a couple minutes of staying there, they went on again, taking a pathway down the hill. Suddenly, they heard a voice yelling out. "Alright, Staravia, use Aerial Ace!"

"That voice sounds familiar…" Matt said, scanning the area around. A glimpse of yellow appeared in his right eye, and he instantly knew who it was. He turned to see Gold, the trainer who Matt battled not too long ago. His Staravia slashed a few branches off of a tree with great speed. "Hey, Gold!"

The trainer turned around. "Oh, hey guys! I haven't seen you two in a while." Gold's Staravia landed on his shoulder. "Who's this?"  
"This is my little brother, Alex. He's travelling with us for right now."

"Nice to meet you, Alex," Gold said, putting his hand out to shake. Alex smiled, shaking it back. "So, Matt, it's been a while since we've battled. I wanna make sure you haven't gone soft on me."

"Don't worry about that happening, Gold," Matt replied. "I've got two gym badges now, just like you when we first battled."

"You're catching up to me then," Gold said, pulling out his badge case. "I've got 3."

"Let's see if anything's changed since last time," Matt said, pulling a Pokéball off of his belt.

"You read my mind. Ref for us, Tyler?"  
"I'd be glad to," Tyler said. Matt and Gold took their places on opposite sides of the field, Tyler in the middle.

"Three-on-Three, right?" Matt called out.

"Works for me," Gold called back, taking a ball off of his belt. "Go, Purrloin!" Gold's Dark-Type popped out of its Pokéball, landing on the ground elegantly. It purred, glaring at Matt.

"Flint, Let's Battle!" Matt's Combusken appeared, facing the crafty Purrloin.

"Yay, another battle!" Alex yelled excitedly, watching from next to Tyler. "Battles are so exciting!"

"Purrloin, use Hone Claws!" Gold called out. Purrloin's claws glowed slightly as she started to scratch herself, not hurting her, but raising her power.

"Double Kick, Flint!" The Fighting-Type charged towards Purrloin, hitting into it, and then hitting himself off of her, back to his first position.

"Nice hit," Gold said. "Purrloin, use Payback!" Purrloin ran close to Flint, then with a high amount of energy, batted at him with her claw. Flint staggered.

"What does that move do?" Alex asked Tyler.

"If the Pokémon using the move is attacked before using it, the move's power is doubled." Tyler replied. "Though not very effective, Flint still got hit with a huge attack."

"Double Kick again, Flint!" The Combusken slammed both of his feet into the Dark-Type once more, dealing a super-effective blow.

"Payback once more," Gold commanded. Purrloin was weak, but she managed to hit Flint one last time with Payback.

"Finish Purrloin off with Ember," Matt yelled. Flint charged up fire in his mouth before shooting it at Purrloin, who was taken down.

"Purrloin is unable to battle, Flint the Combusken wins!" Tyler called.

"Great job, girl," Gold said. He returned her, switching Pokéballs. "Go, Staravia!" Out from the Pokéball came the same Pokémon Gold was training with earlier. "Staravia, use Aerial Ace!" With great speed, Staravia flew into Flint, knocking him over.

"Get up, Flint!" Matt called. The Fire-Type was able to stand, but was still fairly weak. "Great, use Ember!" Flint shot out a fireball at Staravia, hitting it.

"Aerial Ace once more," Gold called. The Flying-Type slammed into Flint, knocking him to the ground. He couldn't get back up.

"Flint the Combusken is unable to battle, Staravia wins!"

Matt called back Flint. "Thanks for the battle," he said, switching his Pokéballs. "Go, Shade!"

As the Roselia was sent out, clouds appeared overhead, creating a bit of shade on the battlefield. Matt looked up, noticing some darker than others.

"Why would Matt send out a Grass-Type against Staravia?" Tyler said to himself. "Then again, last time Matt fought Gold, he had a pretty interesting idea with attacking Gold's Mudkip with Fire."

"Razor Leaf," Matt called. Shade let loose dozens of leafs at Staravia, slamming into it, but not doing much damage.

_Odd,_ Gold thought. _I could have sworn he would have used his Buizel. Oh well._ "Staravia, Aerial Ace!"

As Staravia flew towards Shade, Matt called out, "Razor Leaf again!" The leaves slammed into the Flying-Type, slowing it down and lessening the blow on the Roselia.

"Use Peck, Staravia!" Gold's Pokémon charged at Shade again, this time trying to hit her with its beak.

"Dodge it, Shade!" The Grass-Type elegantly avoided Staravia's attacks. "Now, Absorb!" Shade drew energy from Staravia, weakening it, but strengthening the Roselia.

"Finish her off with Aerial Ace!" Gold called. And with one more slam from the bird Pokémon, Shade was out for the count.

"Shade the Roselia is unable to battle, Staravia wins!"

Matt was now down. He should have planned this out better and was mentally yelling at himself. "Thanks for the battle Shade, return." He pulled out his final Pokémon. "Raina, Let's Battle!"

"Bui Bui!" The Water-Type popped out, ready for battle as always.

"Alright, Raina, Aqua Jet," Matt said. Quickly, Raina engulfed herself in water, charging straight up at Staravia, hitting it to the ground. "Nice hit!"

"Get up, Staravia!" Gold called. The Flying-Type stood up, able to fly again. "Good. Now use Aerial Ace!"

"Water Gun!" Matt said. As Staravia came flying into Raina, she hit it with a large stream of water, doing a good amount of damage. Staravia fell to the ground again, this time not getting up.

"Staravia is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins!"

"Down to the final two, eh?" Gold said, returning his Staravia. "I have to say, I've been waiting to fight your Buizel again. She's pretty strong, you know."

Matt and Raina both looked at each other, nodding. There was a definite understanding between then, the thrill of a battle. He finally felt like he had her trust. They could win this.

"Go, Marshtomp!" A blue and orange mud fish Pokémon popped out.

"So Mudkip evolved," Matt noted. _With a dual type, Marshtomp will take regular damage from Raina's Water attacks._ "Use Aqua Jet, Raina!"

Raina charged at Marshtomp, surrounded by water. She slammed into him, a direct hit.

"Now, Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" The Water/Ground-Type shot a huge ball of mud at Raina, covering her in it.

"Use Water Gun," Matt said. Raina tried aiming for Marshtomp, but when she shot her water stream, it missed

"Why couldn't Raina hit Marshtomp?" Alex asked.

"Mud Bomb can lower its foe's accuracy, making it hard for their moves to hit," Tyler explained.

"Come on, Raina and Matt, you can do it!" Alex called, cheering his hardest.

"Use Mud Bomb again, Marshtomp!" The mud slammed into Raina again.

"Aqua Jet!" Matt cried. Raina shot for Marshtomp, this time hitting him.

"You almost got her. Use Mud Bomb one last time!" As the last ball of mud slammed into Raina, she fell.

"Raina the Buizel is unable to battle, Marshtomp wins, meaning the battle goes to Gold!"

Matt walked over to Raina, holding her up. "You did great, Raina," he said. "I know we'll get him next time, right?"

Raina looked back at him. "Bui!"

"Thanks for the battle. Return," Matt said, returning Raina. He stood up and walked over to Gold, sticking out his hand. "That was a great battle."

"Likewise," Gold shook Matt's hand, as they looked each other in the eye. "I have to say, your style of battling really intrigues me. Maybe you're what the Hearthome Tournament needs for a little excitement in it."

"Hearthome Tournament?" Matt asked.

Gold nodded. "It's a huge tournament held every month or so. Battlers from all around the region come to it, and the first place winner gets an awesome prize. The next one is a few days from now, they're still taking signups."

"I'd love to be a part of it," Matt said.

"I'll see you there, then," Gold replied. "I'm gonna do a little more training out here for now. Nice seeing you again."

Matt nodded. "See you then."

After an exciting battle with Gold, Matt experienced another loss. But from losing, Matt gained a great bond with his Buizel, something he's been searching for since he caught her. With both Matt's Hearthome Gym Battle, and now a trainer's tournament ahead of him, he was sure to battle his best. What will his days in the city bring? Stay tuned to find out!


	15. Episode 15: Elusive Eeveelutions

Author's note: Thank you all for reading this far. I'd just like to say that I've reached the point in the story that I've been hoping to: where the suspense begins to kick in and the conflict gets a little more serious. Thanks again for reading so far, and enjoy the rest of the series.

-gocubs711

* * *

Episode 15

"We're almost there," Matt said, looking ahead. "I can just feel it…" Traveling along Route 208, the young trainer was more than excited to get to his next destination. He also couldn't wait to enter the Hearthome Tournament, sure to bring a new experience and new challenges.

"I never thought being on a journey would be this fun!" Alex said beside him. "I'm sad it's almost over for me, though…"

"Don't worry, buddy," Matt reassured him. "You'll be on a journey of your own some day and you'll get to have all sorts of new experiences!"

"You're right, Matt." That always seemed to cheer Alex up.

Suddenly, they heard a scream. "What was that?" Tyler cried.

"I think it came from over there." Matt pointed off a branching path. The group decided to follow it.

They found a girl a little older than Matt standing in a bit of a clearing, shaking her head and muttering "What do I do?" to herself over and over again.

"Is everything ok, Miss?" Tyler asked.

The girl noticed Matt, Tyler and Alex and ran over to them. "Please you have to help me! My sister told me to take out her Pokémon for a walk but then a loud noise scared them away! She raised these Pokémon since they hatched and she's super attached to them. You have to help me find them!"

"It's ok; it's ok, calm down. We'll help you look for them. What do they look like?"

"T-There's nine of them. Two Eevees, the rest are all of the Eeveelutions." She said, hesitantly.

"Eeveelutions?" Alex asked. "What are they?"

"They're all of the evolved forms of Eevee. Eevee can evolve into a total of seven different Pokémon, all of which special in their own way." Tyler explained.

"Whoa, awesome!"

"I'm sure they didn't get far," Matt said. "How about Alex and I search over here, and you two search over there?"

"Sounds good to me," Tyler replied. To the girl, he asked, "May I ask your name?"

"Keira," she said.

"We'll meet back here in a bit. Don't get lost, you too," Tyler advised. He and Keira left, leaving Matt and Alex to look around them. They went into the forest, searching for the elusive bunch.

"Hey guys," Matt called out. "Keira's looking for you. Flareon? Espeon? Leafeon? Any of you guys out there?"

"Hey, Matt, I think I see one over there!" Alex cried. Sure enough, in the bushes, they could see a light blue color. "Which one is that?"

"Hello?" Matt said. A blue Pokémon with long ears popped its head out, staring at Matt and Alex. Matt pulled out his Pokédex.

"Glaceon: the Fresh Snow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Eevee. By controlling its body heat, Glaceon can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond-dust flurry."

"Glaceon!" It cried.

"Glaceon, Keira has been worried about you. You should come with us so we can take you back to her, what do you say?" The Ice-Type hopped out of the bush and trotted over to Alex. The young boy reached his hand out to pet Glaceon, who graciously accepted. "Looks like you made a new friend." Alex laughed, enjoying petting the Pokémon. "Any idea where your friends are, Glaceon?"

Matt and Alex followed the Eeveelution through the forest. It brought them to a tree that a small, spiky, yellow Pokémon sat at. "Oh, I've seen one of you before. You're a Jolteon!"

"Jolt!" It stood up quickly, barring its teeth.

"Whoa, take it easy, buddy. We're here to take you back to Keira." Glaceon stepped in front of them, explaining the situation to the Electric-Type. It seemed to understand. "Thanks Glaceon. Can you guys help find more?"

The group of four searched all around the forest for more of their friends, but wasn't having much luck. "I don't see them anywhere…" Alex said, beginning to lose hope.

"Wait, I think I see something ahead," Matt said. He looked into a small clearing, where an Eevee and Espeon were standing, together. The Espeon was walking normally, with the Eevee running around her. The Eevee kept trying to lead the way, poking at Espeon, almost like he was hitting on her. "Cute," Matt said. "Hey, guys! Keira's been looking for you!"

Espeon was slightly scared, but Eevee jumped in between her and Matt. "Vee! Eevee!" It cried, trying to protect Espeon. The Psychic-Type smiled, admiring Eevee's efforts.

"It's ok, you two, I'm friendly. I have Glaceon and Jolteon with me; I'm here to take you back to Keira so you can go home!"

Espeon started to walk towards Matt, but Eevee got in the way of her, still not seeming to trust Matt. "Jolt! Jolteon!" The Electric-Type yelled. Glaceon did the same, trying to convince the two that Matt and Alex were friendly. Eevee seemed to back down after that.

"Come on, guys. We'll see if we can find any more of your friends, and then we'll head back to Keira, ok?" Matt smiled, getting Espeon and Eevee to come with them. As they were walking, Matt noticed it was starting to get dark out. "Tyler's probably worried about us, we should head back to the clearing, Alex."

"Yeah, you're right," his brother said, petting the Glaceon as they walked. They seemed to like each other a lot. Matt watched the other Pokémon interact with each other. Jolteon seemed to have a bit of a loner personality, not really interacting with others. Eevee was still trying to get Espeon's attention, walking proudly beside her. Pokémon had so many different personalities, just like people. Matt found that amusing.

Suddenly, something jumped in front of the group in the near darkness. It caused them all to come to a halt, as they stared at the large figure. It roared loudly. Matt pulled out his Pokédex, aiming it at the beast.

"Zangoose, the Cat Ferret Pokémon. It has feuded with Seviper for many generations. Its sharp claws are its biggest weapons."

"That's way too big to be a Zangoose!" Matt shouted. But as his vision adjusted to the darkness, he could clearly make out the white and red pattern of the Pokémon. "Run! Get back to Tyler and Keira!" he shouted. The Zangoose's hand was suddenly surrounded by what seemed like more darkness as it lunged at the group. They were divided, running in different directions. Matt could only hope Alex was safe. After he had run a small distance, he called out. "Can anyone hear me?" He heard a rustling in the bush next to him, making him jump. "Who's there?"

"Vee?" The Normal-Type popped its head out of the bush, relieved to see Matt. "Eevee," it said sadly, approaching Matt.

"I know, Eevee, I'm scared, too," Matt said, picking him up. "I think I saw your friends go with my brother. He'll be ok. We just gotta find help, and hope we don't run into that Zangoose again." The Eevee seemed a little calmer. He jumped onto Matt's shoulder. The trainer smiled, trying to make his way through the forest back to where Tyler and Keira were waiting.

The two wandered, as it was much harder to see in the dark. Matt made sure to keep track of the steps he took, though. He was going to get back there.

"Zan! Zangoose!"

"Shit," Matt said. "It's close." Out of nowhere, the beast leapt at Matt, slashing him across the chest, leaving a scar. It started to bleed.

Seeing this, Eevee jumped off of the trainer's shoulder. He had to do something for him, after he saved him from being lost. The human was in danger, he had to do something! With great speed, Eevee shot at Zangoose with a Quick Attack, knocking it off balance. Since it was so large, it was easy to do. Zangoose's attention shifted to the smaller Normal-Type. It tried to slash at it like it did Matt, but couldn't hit the fast-moving Eevee.

Matt had to sit down, getting light-headed from the bleeding. He tried to cover it up as best as he could, but it wasn't doing much. He was surprised at how well Eevee was doing, hitting it and getting out of the way with amazing speed. But he had to get someone's attention soon. _Flint…_ he thought. He took Flint out of his Pokéball. "Use Ember straight up, Flint," he said to his Combusken. "I need to get Tyler's attention."

"Busken?" Matt's Pokémon asked him, worried about the cut.

"I'll be fine, Flint. Just hurry." Flint shot fire skyward, acting like a flare.

Eevee continued to knock into Zangoose. Eventually, the small Pokémon stopped just in front of his large foe. The Zangoose surrounded its claw with darkness once again. Eevee stood still, waiting for Zangoose to strike. As soon as his hand started to move, Eevee run under the beast's legs, causing Zangoose to miss its target and lose its balance in the process. "Zan!" It shouted, falling over.

"Quick, Flint, Double Kick before it gets back up," Matt said, his voice still weak. The Fire-Type slammed into Zangoose twice. "That should do it…" Matt stood up weakly, walking over to Zangoose's unconscious body. His hand was clutched to his chest, trying to stop the bleeding as best as he could. The moon had just come out, seeming to shine down on Eevee, the Pokémon that had just saved Matt's life. "Thanks so much, Eevee…" Some of the moon's beams seemed to reflect off of something on Zangoose as well. One look at him, and Matt knew. Team Revenant had another "experiment" as Donald called it. "Whoa," Matt fell to his knees, lightheaded.

"Combusken!"

"Eevee!"

Flint and Eevee crowd around Matt, trying to comfort him. "Thanks you guys…" His vision was starting to go.

"Hello?" A voice called.

"T-Tyler?" Matt said weakly. He lay down in the grass, not moving much. Flint and Eevee were shouting as loud as they could, trying to draw Tyler's attention to them.

"Oh my god, Matt!" Tyler ran over immediately to his cousin. The last thing Matt saw before blacking out was Tyler kneeling down, Alex and Keira standing behind him.

Matt awoke in a bright room. "Thank god you're awake," he heard Tyler say. He looked over and saw Tyler, Alex, Keira, and a girl he didn't know all sitting next to him. Matt looked down to see that he was on a hospital bed. "You've been out since we found you last night."

"Eevee…Eevee saved me," Matt said. "He took down the Zangoose by himself."

Alex stood up. "I was really scared about you, Matt. But I ran to find Tyler as quickly as I could, just like you said."

That made Matt smile. "Good job, Alex."

"He told us about a giant Pokémon attacking you, and that we needed to go and help as quickly as we could," Keira said. "He had Jolteon, Glaceon, and Espeon with him, meaning we only needed you and Eevee."

"Is Eevee safe?" Matt asked. His question was answered when a small Pokémon jumped onto his lap from the other side of the bed. The Normal-Type looked into Matt's eyes with a smile, glad that he was ok. One of his front paws landed on Matt's scar, making him wince. He looked down his shirt to see that it had healed over, but was still pretty red.

"Matt?" The other girl said. "I'm Rhonda. I train the Pokémon you helped find today. I can't thank you enough for helping out my sister, Keira, even when your life was put into danger."

"Thank you for raising such a strong Eevee," Matt said back, scratching behind the content Pokémon's ears.

"As thanks, I'd like to give you Eevee. He really seems to like you, and after all you've been through, I think you already have such a tight bond."

Matt smiled widely. "What do you think about that, Eevee? Wanna come with me?"

"Vee!" he cried happily. Eevee knew he had to protect this human from danger, but he also knew that his new trainer would help him out.

The trainer didn't waste a second on Eevee's nickname. After seeing the full moon shine on him after his victory, Matt had a perfect name for him. "Welcome to the team, Lunar."

"Ooh, that's a good name," Rhonda said. "You take good care of him, now."

"Don't worry, Rhonda. Lunar's in great hands," Tyler said.

Matt checked out of the Hearthome Pokémon Center, glad that it treated humans when it needed to as well as Pokémon. He bought a new black shirt, his other one shredded. "Glad to be here," Matt said, looking around the city. "Especially after last night…"

"I'm just glad you're alright," Tyler said. He pulled something out of his backpack. "I'm not sure if you'd want this, but…I took this off of Zangoose last night." He handed Matt the Team Revenant anklet that Zangoose was wearing.

Matt stared at it with a mixed expression on his face. "That Zangoose was twice the size it should have been," he said. He decided to put it in his bag, next to the one from Shaymin and the one from the Bidoof. They all held some bad memories, but they fueled Matt's desire to stop Team Revenant.


	16. Episode 16: Contest Creators

Episode 16

Hearthome City: a bustling city filled with culture, battling, and scenery. Matt, Tyler, and Alex admired the sights. Tyler's parents moved here not too long ago, but this was the first time since Tyler's journey that he'd actually been here, and a lot had changed.

"I wonder where we sign up for the tournament," Matt said, looking for some sort of stadium where the tournament could take place. He was eager to become a part of it, to battle many new people and grow stronger. "See any big building?"

"This city has changed so much since I was last here," Tyler said. "So many new apartments, so many artistic opportunities…It's such a great place."

The group walked around the city more. They passed by an artist painting a couple on a bench, a couple families walking towards the park, and even a couple young trainers having a battle. Matt envied them a little. They had a pretty simple life. Last night, he was attacked by a deranged Zangoose and has to deal with an evil team that does strange things to Pokémon.

Matt's thoughts were interrupted when Alex shouted, "There's a big building!" A couple blocks ahead of them stood a large dome. "You think it's in there?"  
"We could check," Matt said. The trio went to the dome. As they got closer, they saw a ribbon-like design just above the door. "Doesn't look much like a battling facility…"

All around, dozens of trainers were having Pokémon use their moves along. It was almost like a circus. "This must be the Contest Hall!" Tyler said.

"Contest Hall?" Matt asked.

"This is where they hold the region's Pokémon Contests: where Pokémon show off their skills in a test of beauty, creativity, and style."

"That sounds pretty fun, actually," Matt said, looking up at the building. "I suppose I could enter one contest…" They went inside, Matt going to the front counter. "Is this where we sign up for contests?"

The lady behind the desk turned from her computer and greeted Matt. "It sure is. I'll just need your trainer card and for you to fill out this here form. Matt scribbled his information down until he got to the last item on the list: "Which Pokémon are you going to use?"

"Which Pokémon?" Matt said, thinking aloud. He didn't really know which one would be the best to use. He was starting to think Raina…

Suddenly, Lunar popped out of his Pokéball, landing on the floor next to Matt. "Vee! Eevee!" it cried.

"You want to be in it, Lunar?" Matt asked, enjoying his Eevee's enthusiasm.

"I'd say so," Tyler said. "I had no idea he'd be into contests."

Matt wrote down "Eevee" onto the sheet and handed it back to the receptionist. "Thanks! The contest will start in a couple hours. Be back here at 3, ok?"

"Just enough time to get some lunch," Tyler said.

"Seeing a contest is going to be so cool!" Alex said. He couldn't wait for it.

After lunch, the group decided to head to the Contest Hall so Matt could practice with Lunar. He wanted to make sure he knew everything that went into it. He heard a voice to his right, and turned to see a girl training for the contest.

"All right Raichu, use Fling!" she shouted. Her Pokémon, an orange mouse, threw an Iron Ball skyward. "Now, Double Team!"

"Raichu! Rai!" The Electric-Type created a circle of clones, surrounding the flying ball.

"Thunderbolt!" the trainer shouted. Raichu and its clones charged up electricity then fired it at the airborne ball. The electricity scattered off of it, creating a wonderful sight.

"Wow that was amazing!" Matt said, walking over to her.

The trainer and Raichu both faced Matt. "Oh, uh, thanks…" she said shyly.

"Rai Rai!" The Raichu said, much more confident than his trainer. The Iron Ball fell, landing right next to Raichu. It scared him, causing him to fall over. The trainer put a palm on her forehead.

"Are you entering the contest?" Matt asked.

"Y-Yeah, I am. Hi, I'm Anabelle."

"Matt," he replied, offering his hand. She hesitantly shook it. "Hey, I was just wondering, but could you explain the rules for me? This is my first contest."

Anabelle smiled. "S-Sure thing, why don't we go inside and I'll tell you all about it?" They all went inside the contest hall, over to a lounge area. Anabelle began to explain what a contest is like. "First, your Pokémon needs to make an appeal. Use as many moves as you can to make a dazzling display, like I was doing outside. After everyone has made their appeal, the top sixteen coordinators move onto the battle round."

"That sounds like my kind of round," Matt said.

"It's more than just regular battle, though. You need to use your Pokémon's moves to attack your opponent with style, yet still be able to win the battle. You have to take a lot into account, but it's worth it once you make that stunning performance." Even though Anabelle was shy, Matt could tell she had a passion for contests, and was glad he could learn from her. "It's set up like a tournament. Whoever ends up winning the bracket wins the contest!"

"Sounds like a lot of work," Matt said. "But I can't wait to try!"

"Start practicing your moves now, only an hour left until the contest starts," she said, standing up. "I'm going to go train more. I can't wait to see how you do, though."

"I'll see you then," the trainers split, leaving Matt with Tyler and Alex, who were listening to her as well.

"So what do you have planned for Lunar to do, Matt?" Tyler asked.

Matt pulled out his Pokédex, checking his Eevee's moveset just to be certain on it. He let Lunar out. "We've got some training to do, buddy."

"Welcome, one and all, to the Hearthome City Contest Hall!" The MC's voice rang over the speakers, filling the crowded stadium of cheering fans. Tyler and Alex were just finding their seats as the announcer spoke.

"I hope Matt does well. He had only practiced his routine and strategies for an hour beforehand." Tyler said. "Most coordinators train for weeks before a contest."

"Yeah, but Matt's going to do well, I know it," Alex said. Tyler smiled. The amount of pride Alex had in his older brother was amazing.

"We've gathered so many great coordinators, both old and new, to perform for you today! I'm Patricia, and I'll be your host for today's events!"

Backstage, Matt sat in the contestants' room, watching from a television. So many coordinators were there. He felt so inexperienced, but he hoped that he and Lunar could perform a great show regardless. He had his Eevee on his lap, watching the screen with him. Anabelle walked over and sat down next to Matt. "Hey, Anabelle," Matt said.

"Nervous?" She asked. "I can tell it in your voice."

"Yeah," Matt replied. "This is the first time I've done anything like this."

"Don't be nervous. You'll do great, I'm sure." She said with a smile. "Here, I brought you something to help you out. It's a Ball Capsule!"

"A Ball Capsule?" Matt asked. He took what looked like a clear Pokéball from Anabelle, studying it. "What does it do?"

"You put your Pokéball inside of it, and then when your Pokémon come out, it'll come out all flashy and pretty and cool!"  
"Wow, thanks Anabelle," Matt said, putting it on Lunar's Pokéball. It had a couple of stickers on it, Matt assumed to add effect.

The MC was finishing her speech when Matt's attention was turned back to the television. "Without further adieu, let us begin the contest!"

Dozens of talented coordinators began entering the stage one by one, showing off their Pokémon's talents. A girl with her Ninetales put on a dazzling display of fire. A young boy and his Geodude performed a cool, gritty rock show. A woman dressed in purple magnificently showed off her Drifloon's many moves.

"Look, it's Anabelle!" Alex shouted, seeing the girl they met earlier come on stage. Just like outside, her Raichu flung up the Iron Ball, eventually to scatter electricity from it all around the room. Raichu caught the ball this time, holding it up victoriously. The crowd went wild.

"That was impressive even the second time," Tyler said, clapping along with the crowd.

After a few more coordinators did their act, it was Matt's turn to shine. He entered; slightly less dressed than the rest of the competition. Alex shouted his brother's name, finally able to see him come out on stage. "Welcome, for his first contest appearance, Matt Cordia from Oreburgh City!"

Matt took out Lunar's Pokéball, fitted with a new Ball Capsule. "Let's do this, buddy. Lunar, Let's Battle!"

As the traditional white light escaped the ball, many multi-colored musical notes and stars did as well, surrounding the Eevee as he popped out, landing on stage. "Vee!"

"Lunar, use Shadow Ball!" Matt cried. Lunar charged up a small ball of shadow in his mouth, firing it into the air. It stayed put, hovering. "Keep going!" The Eevee began firing Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball into the air, leaving them all suspended. "Great! Now use Quick Attack!" With great speed, Lunar dove towards the floating orbs, passing through them and landing on the ground. He repeated this, darting through the orbs. As he passed through them, they disintegrated, not affecting Lunar at all. The remains fluttered to the ground slowly, creating a wonderful and beautiful display.

"Finish it!" Matt called. One final Shadow Ball, the largest of the group, was positioned above Matt's head. Lunar charged up at it, this one creating the largest sparkles yet. Lunar landed on Matt's shoulder, sticking the landing. The crowd burst into cheer.

"Wow, Matt did a great job!" Alex said, clapping his hardest.

"I agree," Tyler said. "We'll have to see if it's good enough for him to make it into the next round, though."

"Okay! The judges have finished selecting the coordinators that will move on to the next round! Please take a look at the screen to see which talented trainers will move onto the battle round!"  
Sixteen cards appeared on a giant screen. They flipped around, and everyone began scanning, looking for their picture.

Matt looked up, and saw his picture right next to Annabelle's, meaning he was moving on! "Yes!" he shouted.

"Congrats!" Anabelle said. "You had a great appeal!"

"Thanks so did you," Matt said, looking at the television screen, seeing the bracket set up. "But it looks like we're going against each other in the first round."

Anabelle grinned. "I'll try to go easy on you." With that, she was off, leaving Matt speechless.

He didn't see her again until they were face to face in the battlefield. "Welcome to the first match of the battle round! Here we have Anabelle from Sunnyshore City versus Matt from Oreburgh City! Battlers ready? Go!"

"Raichu, the stage is yours!" Anabelle called out. Her Electric-Type elegantly appeared, lightning bolt patterns scattering around.

"Lunar, Let's Battle!" Lunar popped out of his Ball Capsule, facing the Raichu confidently. "Alright Lunar, use Shadow Ball!" The Eevee shot an orb of darkness at Raichu.

"Intercept it with Thunderbolt!" Anabelle ordered. Raichu shot electricity at the Shadow Ball, scattering it everywhere. Matt's points went down, meaning Anabelle was winning.

"Quick Attack," Matt said. With his speed, Lunar slammed into Raichu, knocking it down. Anabelle lost points, but not as much

"You do the same, Raichu!" The Electric-Type charged at Lunar with even greater speed, the light coming off of him brighter. Matt lost more points than Anabelle did with her Quick Attack.

"Come on, Matt! You can do it!" Alex called.

"You're pretty good at contest battling," Matt said. "But I'm not finished yet. Use Sand Attack!"

Lunar threw sand into Raichu's eyes, slightly blinding him. "Rai!"

"Raichu, use Dig!" Raichu dove into the ground, leaving Lunar wondering where he was.

"Use Shadow Ball into the hole!" Matt called, surprising Anabelle. Lunar shot an orb into the hole. Matt heard a collision, his target had been hit. Anabelle's points dropped, now tied with Matt. Raichu shot up out of the ground right then, hitting Lunar head on. Matt's points dropped, now almost depleted. "Keep at it, Lunar! Use Shadow Ball again!"  
"Thunderbolt!"

The two attacks hit each other, but the Thunderbolt went through, slamming into Lunar and knocking him over. Matt's points reached 0, and he was out of the contest. "And with that, Anabelle defeats Matt and moves on to the next round! The crowd burst into applause like always.

"Lunar, return!" Matt said, called back his Eevee. "Great job, buddy. You looked like you belonged out there."

Anabelle walked over to him. "Great battle, Matt!" She said.

"Likewise," Matt said back. "Good luck in the later rounds!"

Matt went up into the stands to watch the remaining battles with Tyler and Alex. They watched as Anabelle passed through every round, eventually making it to the final round. When her Raichu's Thunderbolt hit its final opponent, she had won the contest. "After several stunning battles, we have our winner! Anabelle from Sunnyshore City, please come up and accept your ribbon!"

Anabelle went onto the platform in the center along with the MC and the judges to receive her ribbon, the symbol of her victory. "Thank you all for coming out and we'll see you next time!"

"That was pretty fun," Matt said, as the group exited the Contest Hall. "I hope that those battles I saw can help me in the tournament, too."

"Don't you still need to sign up for that?" Tyler asked  
"Crap, you're right!" Matt said. Though the sun was setting, Matt began to run, searching for where the tournament was being held, hoping he could still sign up.


	17. Episode 17: The Hearthome Tournament

Episode 17

"Just sign here, and let me scan your trainer card, and you'll be all set to go," the clerk at the tournament counter said. Matt handed him his card, just as Tyler and Alex were entering the building.

"You really gotta slow down sometimes, Matt," his cousin said, panting. "One day I'm gonna lose you."

"Sorry," Matt said, taking his card back from the clerk.

"The first round of the tournament starts tomorrow. Get a good night's rest, and we'll see you then."

"I'm looking forward to it," Matt replied to the clerk. "Should we head to your folk's place now?" He asked Tyler.

"I'd say so. I can show Alex where he's gonna be staying until your mom comes to pick him up, and we'll all have a chance to just rest for a bit."

They reached Tyler's parents' house not too long later. Tyler knocked on the door. "Hello? Mom? Dad? It's me, Tyler; we're stopping by for a visit!"

Tyler's dad swung open the door. He was slightly overweight, bald, but very friendly. "Hey, kiddo! Long time no see!" He scooped his son up in a huge bear hug.

"Hey Dad," Tyler said back, laughing. "Can we stay here for the night?" Tyler's dad noticed Matt and Alex for the first time.

"Sure thing! Hey nephews, I haven't seen you in forever. And look how much you've grown!" He pulled the two into a large hug as well, his arm brushing against Matt's scar, making him cringe. "Ooh, sorry, did I get you too hard?" He asked.

"It's fine, Uncle Earl," Matt said. "I'll tell you about it later. May we come in?"

Earl let them inside as they sat down in the living room. Matt told them about the situation with Alex, and they said they'd be more than happy to let him stay there until his mom was able to come and get him. Oreburgh wasn't far away, but Matt's mom was busy with work a lot, so she won't be able to come and get Alex until later this week. Matt then told Tyler's parents about his run in with the Zangoose, and how he got his scar. They were worried about him, but were glad that Matt was safe.

Matt and Alex walked into their room that they'd be sharing for the night and the two immediately fell into their beds. They were exhausted, especially Matt. All he wanted to do now was sleep so he could get to the Hearthome Tournament sooner. He let his mid drift away slowly…closed his eyes…and he was out.

Matt approached the trainer's room the next day, eager to get on with the contest. If he heard correctly, there were going to be five rounds. It was a long day if Matt could make it that far, but he was ready for it nonetheless. He took a deep breath before opened the doors, the room bustling with dozens of trainers. He kept his eye out for Gold, the only person he knew who was entering the tournament. He saw a couple guys talking off to the side as he walked by. One of them looked a little shady, but Matt didn't care. He saw a kid who looked overwhelmed by everything around him. Finally, he spotted his rival sitting on a bench. He walked over to him.

"Bout time you showed up," Gold said, shaking Matt's hand as Matt sat down next to him. "So which Pokémon are you gonna use today?"

"I'm not sure yet," Matt said.

"Well, you better decide soon. You only get one choice in this tournament and you have to use it for every battle."

"Only one?" Matt said, shocked. He knew it would only be a one-on-one battle every round, but he didn't think it'd be easy to pick one for the whole tournament. He looked as his belt. After thinking about it, he knew which one he'd succeed with.

"Raina," he told Gold.

"Excellent choice," he replied. Matt had to agree. Though he and Raina weren't best friends right away, their bond grew through their love for battling.

Matt heard another voice call his name. He turned to see Ricky, who he hadn't seen since Eterna City. "Ricky! Over here!" His other rival sat down on the other side of Matt. "Ricky, this is Gold. Gold, Ricky. By the way, how'd you do in the Canalave Gym?" Matt asked his childhood friend.

"I got my ass handed to me. Byron's insanely strong. I need to do a lot more training before I face him again."

"I was actually about to go face him after this tournament," Gold said. "But now that you mention his strength, maybe I should get stronger, too. Thanks for the tip."

"No prob," Ricky replied. "So, Matt, why didn't you tell me you were entering? We could have trained together a bit!"

"To be honest, I didn't know about it until Gold told me about it a couple days ago. But it's cool that you're here, too. I wonder if any of us will face each other…"

The three trainers stared at each other. Even though Gold and Ricky had just met, the intense fire that sparks between rivals was present. Matt hoped he didn't have to face either of them, early, though. He wanted them all to go far, and beat them where it really counted.

"Trainers, please exit to the stadium sidelines," A voice rang over the intercom. "The Hearthome Tournament will begin shortly."

"Let's go," Matt said. "I can't wait to start!"

All the trainers gathered in a huge cluster on the ground of the stadium, near the battlefield. Gold explained to him that this is how other competitors watch the tournament. It lets them examine the battle easier and strategize for future battles.

"Welcome everybody!" The MC got on to center stage, the crowd broke into applause, a band playing as well. When the music and clapping died down, he continued. "My name is Roland Kingsley, President of the Pokémon Battle Association. Today, I bring you thirty-two fabulous trainers, who will battle their way through the odds, fighting many opponents until one emerges as the victor!" The audience cheered once more. "Please look at the screen to see our first round match-ups!"

The faces flashed up on screen, much like the contest battle Matt took part in yesterday. The three trainers checked for their faces. Matt was paired with a girl with brown hair that he didn't recognize. Ricky was matched up with a guy who looked like a biker, and Gold was going up against…Anabelle? Matt didn't see her in the room before, but he saw her in the bleachers, sitting a ways away from him. Both of them had beaten Matt before, so he wasn't sure who'd have a better chance of winning. "Awesome, we won't face each other until later," Matt said.

"Granted, all three of us have to win first," Gold said. "But knowing you two, that'll come easily."

The three watched match after match go by, a total of 16 the first round. Eventually, it was Gold's turn, as he got up on the battlefield across from Anabelle. "Nice to meet you," He said.

"Good luck!" She replied, as the two sent out their Pokémon. Gold's Marshtomp was facing off against Anabelle's Raichu.

"Battle, begin!" The ref called out.

"Raichu, Quick Attack!" Anabelle shouted. With great speed, Raichu slammed into Marshtomp, knocking him over.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" The Water-Type recovered quickly, throwing mud into Raichu's chest, a super-effective hit.

Up in the stands, Tyler and Alex were just coming in. "Tyler, I told you we were gonna be late!"

"It's ok, Alex, I don't think Matt has battled yet." He looked down onto the field, seeing two familiar trainers. "But it looks like people we know are."

"Alright, Raichu, use Fling!" Anabelle commanded. Holding his Iron Ball, the Electric-Type chucked it at Marshtomp, dealing a high amount of damage to it. Marshtomp had trouble standing up again.

"Keep at it, buddy, we've almost got him!" Gold encouraged. "Use Mud Bomb again!" Just as before, Marshtomp lunged a ball of mud at Raichu, hitting it head on. Anabelle ordered another Quick Attack, but Raichu only slightly hit the Water-Type before getting hit by another ball of mud, which did him in.

"Raichu is unable to battle, Marshtomp wins! The victory goes to Gold from Sootopolis City!"  
"Aw man…" Anabelle said, calling Raichu back. "We lost…"

Gold called back his Marshtomp, going over to shake Anabelle's hand. "I really enjoyed our battle."

"S-Same," Anabelle said, shaking Gold's hand.

Only one battle separated Gold and Ricky, and soon enough, Ricky was up on the battlefield.

"Nice job," Matt told Gold as he sat down. "Though I didn't know you were from Hoenn."

"Yeah, although I haven't been to the gyms there, yet," he replied.

"Cool. Now it's time to see what Ricky can do." Matt knew which Pokémon Ricky was going to use. Sure enough, his Charmeleon popped out of its Pokéball seconds later, confirming Matt's prediction. Ricky's opponent, named Daryl sent out a Clefairy, earning a few snickers from the other battlers.

Ricky stared down the battlefield. "Alright Picante, use Smoke Screen!"

_Looks like Ricky gave her a nickname,_ Matt thought, _Fitting name for both her and her trainer. _The Charmeleon released a ton of black smoke onto the battlefield, blinding both Pokémon.

"Clefairy, use Reflect!" Ricky's opponent called. Clefairy put up a screen of light, raising its defense.

"Use Fire Fang!" Ricky called. The Charmeleon darted through the smoke, appearing out of thin air to bite down hard on Clefairy, fire scattering from her teeth. "Yeah! Nice hit!"

"Use Metronome, Clefairy!" Clefairy's fingers began to sway side to side, catching Picante's attention. They eventually stopped in the center, as stars shot out of its hands into the Fire-Type. It had turned into Swift.

"What does that move do?" Gold asked.

Matt learned about that move in trainer school. The teacher's Pokémon would use Metronome, and then the students would be tested on which move it used. "It can turn into any move in existence, it's very random."

"Cool move," Gold said. "But I don't see how it's good for battle…"

"Maybe he relies on luck," Matt noted.

"Use Fire Fang again!" Ricky shouted. Picante chomped down on Clefairy, unfazed by the Swift attack. With that blow, Clefairy was down.

Daryl screamed in defeat, recalling his Clefairy. "I can't believe it! I lost to a kid!" Instead of shaking Ricky's hand, the biker left immediately, not even returning to the battler's area.

"What an ass," Matt said as Ricky sat down next to him. "Nice battle, though, Picante's gotten really strong. I'm sure Flint's dying to battle her again after last time."

Ricky nodded. "If only you had entered him instead of Raina, then we'd get that chance."

"Cyndaquil is unable to battle, Sneasel wins, meaning the victor is Gage from Blackthorn City!" The ref shouted. The match before Matt's had just ended. His was also the final of the day. The two trainers shook hands and cleared the battlefield as Matt's picture flashed on screen, along with his opponent's. The screen started to malfunction, so they gave an announcement that the battle would be on hold until they got it to work again. Matt took this time to get to know his opponent.

"Hey, I'm Matt," he said across the battlefield.

"Hey Matt," she replied. "The name's Evanna. I'm going to be in the Elite Four someday!"

"Oh really?"

"Well, at least, I want to be. I'm training really hard with my Water-Type Pokémon. It's my dream to be one. But first…" she tilted her head down. "I'll just have to beat you."

Matt smiled, waiting for their battle to be ready. "We'll see about that."

The screen whirred back on, and the announcer came back on the speakers. "Thanks for waiting folks! Now, without further adieu, here were are at the last battle of the day!"

"Battlers, send out your Pokémon!" The ref called.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt threw his Pokéball.

"Buizel!" She cried, taking her stance. She looked back at Matt, and they both nodded at the same time. They were ready.

"Come on out, Leeyum!" Evanna shouted. Out from her Pokéball popped a Wartortle, who did a back flip upon exiting.

"Battle of the Water-Types I see," Matt said. "Raina, use Aqua Jet!" He wanted to get some quick damage right off the bat. His Buizel slammed into the Wartortle, surrounded in water.

"Water Gun!" Evanna shouted. Her Wartortle spewed water at Raina, pushing her back.

Matt couldn't tell who had the upper hand. Both Pokémon stared each other down, a sense of rivalry between them. This was going to be a close battle.


	18. Episode 18: The Dream

Episode 18

"Water Gun!" Both trainers shouted their attacks at the same time, and each stream of water collided with each other in the center, neither Pokémon having the advantage. Matt was in the middle of his battle with Evanna, a new rival, in the Hearthome Tournament. His Buizel Raina was fighting Evanna's Wartortle named Leeyum, and both were going at it strong.

"Raina, use Sonic Boom!" Matt called. Raina jumped into the air, spinning around and sending a wave of sound at the Wartortle, hitting it head on and knocking it over. He knew it wouldn't do much damage, but it would at least get past the stalemate with Water Gun.

"Nice hit," Evanna said. "But we're not nearly done yet! Rapid Spin, Leeyum!"

The Water-Type entered its shell before quickly spinning to smash into Raina, knocking her over.

"Sonic Boom again!"

"Use Rapid Spin!"

Raina's sound wave bounced off of Wartortle harmlessly as it entered its shell and spun into Raina, hitting her again. "You ok, girl?" Matt called.

His Buizel stood up, having taken a hard hit. She nodded. "Bui Bui!"

"Great. Use Aqua Jet!" Matt was hoping her speed could score a hit. Sure enough, the bullet that was Raina collided with Wartortle, knocking it over.

"Rapid Spin!" Evanna called. Matt cringed. That move seemed to work a little too well against Raina. It slammed her into the floor yet again, doing a large deal of damage.

"Raina!" Matt called. She lay there, almost not able to move. The ref was about to raise the flag signifying the end of the battle, until Raina slowly got her footing again. The crowd went nuts. "Alright, Raina! Use-" Matt stopped his speech, noticing something different about his Buizel. "Huh?"

Suddenly Raina tilted her head up, shouting, "Bui!" It echoed through the stadium, and though it was indoors, dark rain clouds formed above the battlefield, showering it.

"No way," Matt called. "Raina, you learned a new move!"

Up in the stands, Alex said to Tyler, "What move was that?"

"I believe Raina just learned Rain Dance, true to her name for sure," Tyler replied with a smile.

"Alright, we're still in this!" Matt said.

Evanna smiled. "That's one tough Buizel you have there. But don't count us out yet, either. Use Rapid Spin, Leeyum!"

"Dodge, then use Water Gun!" Matt called.

As the Wartortle spun towards Raina, she moved out of the way with incredible speed. With a smirk, she shot a quick stream of water at the still spinning Wartortle, making her spin even faster, until the opposing Water-Type came out of its shell dizzy. "War…tortle…"

Evanna shouted, "Leeyum! Get your head back in it and use Water Gun!" Leeyum tried to fire water at Raina, but it missed her entirely.

"Finish this with Aqua Jet!" Matt called. Raina surrounded herself in water before charging at the dazed Water-Type. She slammed into Leeyum, knocking her back to Evanna.

"Leeyum the Wartortle is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins! Our final victor of the day is Matt Cordia from Oreburgh City!" The crowd erupted into applause yet again. Matt went over to congratulate his opponent, who was a little shocked at the outcome. She smiled nonetheless, and shook Matt's hand.

"I'll be seeing you in other tournaments," Evanna said. "I'm sure of it." Matt nodded, looking forward to it. With that, Evanna was off, and Matt headed back to the competitor's area, taking his seat next to Ricky and Gold, who both congratulated him.

"That's all for today, ladies and gentlemen, but here we have the matchups for Round 2, which will all take place tomorrow!" The announcer concluded. Matt looked on the screen, searching for his picture. It was paired up with a trainer he hadn't seen before. The same was true for Gold and Ricky. Matt remembered seeing his opponent battle, though. He was using a Seviper, so Matt knew he had to plan for that. For the rest of the night, though, it was time to relax.

One of the supervisors for the tournament came over to the contestants that hadn't left the stadium in rage and told them of a celebration being held at the Pokémon Center. Matt, Ricky, and Gold all decided to attend. It would give them and their Pokémon a chance to have fun and relax before the battles tomorrow. Once they got there, they immediately let out their Pokémon, who started socializing. Matt let out Flint, Shade, Lunar, and Raina and told them to gather close real quick.

"Alright, guys, time to have fun. Behave yourselves, though. I don't want any of you getting in trouble." Shade and Flint nodded, Lunar had a slightly guilty expression on his face, and Raina still had her battle attitude from before. "Meet back here at the end of the party. Go and have fun, guys!" With that, the Pokémon scurried around the Pokémon Center, socializing with others and playing around. Matt looked to see his Eevee unsuccessfully trying to hit on a Vulpix and couldn't help but laugh.

"So, Matt," Ricky said, having let his Pokémon out for the party, too. "Catch any new Pokémon since we last met?"

"My egg hatched into a Budew when I stopped by home," Matt told him. "And, well…" He lifted up his shirt slightly to show off his scar. "Before he was mine, my Eevee and I got attacked by a deranged Zangoose. His owner let me keep him after that. Though it was only one night, we formed a very strong bond then. What about you? Catch anything else?"

"So far I've caught an Elekid and a Staravia," Ricky said. "My star player is still Picante, though."

"Flint's really strong as well," Matt said. "I bet he could take on Picante with ease."

"We'll see about that, Matt," Ricky said back, the spark appearing between them again. If Picante wasn't supposed to battle tomorrow, Matt would have challenged Ricky right then and there. But there would be enough battling in the next few days. He needed his energy saved.

"So, gentlemen," Gold said, having snuck up behind them. "The night is young, there's some great music playing, and we've got a full tournament ahead of us. Great time to celebrate, wouldn't you say?"

"I'd agree with you there," Matt said. Suddenly, Matt began to get really light headed. "Is, uh…is anyone else getting a headache?"

"You don't look so hot, Matt, you should sit down," Ricky said.

Matt took his suggestion, but his head still had a mixture of light and heavy feelings. He let out a scream in pain. "Somebody! Get Nurse Joy!" he yelled. She wouldn't be too far away. They were in the lobby of the Pokémon Center after all. Ricky got up and ran towards the back, as Gold stay to help Matt.

"What's going on, Matt?" Gold asked, but Matt's hearing was starting to go away.

"I don't know!" The music started to die down as the other competitors noticed Matt's screaming. Some of them started to talk about him, asking if he was alright.

"Just relax, Matt. Nurse Joy will be here soon, she'll help you," Gold said. Matt couldn't hear much more, though. Before he knew it, all he could see was black.

The next thing Matt remembered, he was floating in a black and purple void, the colors mixing together. He couldn't move anything other than his eyes. All he could do was watch.

"Get away from him!" He heard a voice yell. His eyes darted to his right, where a vision of a Skarmory and a Ninetales were in front of a really strong attack. It floated away as another one came into view. In this one, Matt saw…Lucario? He was firing a bright blue beam from his paws at something Matt couldn't see. He looked extremely powerful. That vision moved away as well. Soon, more and more visions started to get into Matt's sight. The sounds from all of them filled his head. They got so massive in numbers that he couldn't distinguish one from another, in both appearance and sound. He wanted so badly to clasp his hands on his hurting head, but he couldn't move them there.

Suddenly, all the visions vanished, and a swirl of blue appeared in front of him. A large, blue and silver head poked through it. _Dialga…_Matt thought. It roared at him, but it didn't seem hostile. "Help," its voice travelled into Matt's head, as it disappeared, the swirls of blue and purple going away until only black remained.

Matt jolted up, in a white room. He looked around again, seeing Gold, Ricky, Tyler, and Alex. They got him help. "You know, I was hoping I wouldn't have to wake up like this twice in a few days," he said with a small smile. The others were relieved to see that he was ok.

"You really gave us a scare," Ricky said. "I'm glad you're alright now, though." Matt nodded. He knew he couldn't have been out for very long. But what he saw in that dream…he had to tell them.

"After I blacked out, I was floating. And I saw some really weird images floating by me, but I couldn't really understand what they were or what they meant. But then, they all just vanished, and then…Dialga appeared in front of me. And he asked for my help," Matt explained.

Tyler pulled out his journal. "What exactly happened?"

"Well…a blue spiral formed, and then Dialga came through it, and told me to help it."

Tyler was scribbling down. "Dialga's the ruler of time…what if…he was showing you those visions from the future?"

"The future…?" Matt thought. Those did seem pretty realistic. "Dialga…must really need my help then."

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it right now," Tyler said. "I'm sure the time will come, though."

"Could it be…from Team Revenant?" Matt said.

"Who's Team Revenant?" Ricky asked. _That's right,_ Matt thought. _I didn't tell Ricky and Gold about them…_

Matt explained his run in with the Team Revenant both in Jubilife and on Route 207. He also told them about Shaymin, the Bidoof, and the Zangoose that attacked Matt. When he mentioned that they had his picture on their wall, as if he were a target, Gold and Ricky started to freak out.

"What did they want with you?" Ricky said.

"I still don't know. But after the boss destroyed me in battle, they lost all interest in me."

"Well, that means you don't have to worry about them anymore, right?" Gold said.

"No way am I stopping." Matt pulled out the Team Revenant anklets from his bag and showed them. "Every time I find one of these, I keep it. Anything I can do to help the Pokémon that Team Revenant tries to do these horrible things to, I'll do it. They may think that I'm a weak trainer. But I'm not letting them get me down."

His rivals' faces lit up, noticing their friend's desire to fight. "I'll see you in the tournament tomorrow, Matt," Gold said. "You better win. I can't wait to face you."

"You're a good man, Matt," Ricky said, extending his hand. "But I gotta get going, too. Glad you're better."

Matt shook it, both rivals' eyes burning with competition. All he could hope was that he'd win tomorrow's battle, just so he could face Ricky.


	19. Episode 19: Narrowing Battles

Episode 19

"Hello, everyone! Welcome back to the Hearthome Tournament! I'm your host, Roland Kingsley, president of the Pokémon Battle Association. With me today, we have sixteen talented trainers. But after today, only 8 will move on to the next round. Please give a big hand for them, as we start today's set of battles!"

The large crowd applauded again as the battlers went to the stands to watch. Matt had played his opponent's strategy out in his head all night, and knew what he had to do with Raina in order to beat him. Luckily, Matt was the second battle this time, as opposed to being the last battle like yesterday. He took his position across the battlefield from his opponent, a man named Seth. The two sent out their Pokémon, a Buizel versus a Seviper.

"Battle, begin!" The ref yelled.

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!" Matt always liked starting off with that move. It got in real quick damage at the start of the battle. His Buizel covered herself in water and charged at the Seviper. She hit her opponent, but Seth had another plan.

"Quick, Seviper, use Wrap!" He shouted. Before Raina could react, the Seviper wrapped its tail around the Water-Type, holding her in place.

"Use Water Gun into Seviper's face!" Matt shouted, expecting the Poison-Type to do that at some point. Raina shot multiple streams of water at Seviper, some of which missing, but the last one hitting head on and freeing her of Seviper's grip. She faced him again, ready to battle.

"Seviper, Poison Tail!" He shouted. The snake's tail glowed as it charged at Raina, slamming her with its tail. Raina stood back up, facing the Poison-Type once more.

Matt knew he could finish this battle quickly. He just needed one important element. "Use Rain Dance!" He said.

Raina tilted her head up and shouted, her cry reverberating in the stadium once more. Clouds began to rain down on them once more, as the Buizel grinned at her opponent.

"Use Poison Tail again!" Seth called.

"Dodge it!" Matt called. As the Seviper charged towards Raina, she darted to the side. But the Poison-Type's tail just barely scraped her. The Buizel paused on the field, holding her stomach. "Dammit…she got poisoned…" Matt said. He just had to hope he could win before the poison got to her. "Use Aqua Jet!"

With incredible speed, Raina covered herself in water and slammed into the Seviper, without giving it a chance to blink.

"That's some speed you got there," Seth said. "But that's not all you'll need to beat us. Seviper, use Wrap!"

The snake darted at Raina, successfully able to wrap around her. "Use Wa-" Matt was about to do the same thing he did last time Raina was in this situation. He didn't know why, but when he looked at the Seviper, he felt some sort of hatred towards it. Seth seemed like a great trainer and Matt loved the battle he was in, but for some reason, he couldn't get over a sense that the Seviper was his enemy. After pausing for just a moment, Matt called out, "Aqua Jet!"

Seviper was hit from all sides as Raina covered herself in water, doing a lot of damage and knocking the Seviper to the other side of the battlefield. "Finish it with one last Aqua Jet!" Raina's speed allowed her to collide without allowing the Seviper to get up.

"Seviper is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins, meaning our victor is Matt from Oreburgh City!"

Seth returned Seviper and came over to congratulate Matt on a great battle. Matt returned the shake, but he still felt a bit uneasy about the Seviper in his Pokéball.

Matt waited and watched Gold and Ricky's battles, both of whom conquered their opponents with ease. As another day went by, the contestants were narrowed down to a mere eight. "Thank you all once more for another great day of battling," Kingsley said over the microphone. "With our final eight competitors, here are the matchups for tomorrow's events!"

The pictures flashed up on screen, and Matt's was placed smack dab next to…

"Ricky," Matt said. "I finally get to battle you."

"It's about time," he said back. "I was worried one of us would get knocked out before that happened."

"Give it your all, man. I know we will." Unfortunately, the competitive spark between the two would have to wait another day before it could ignite.

That night, Matt lay awake in his bed, unable to get any sleep. He sat up, rubbing his face. It was 2:00 AM, and he still hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"Can't sleep?" Tyler said, awake as well.

"Yeah," Matt replied, lying back down. "It's just that this tournament, Team Revenant, that vision with Dialga…They're starting to take a toll on me."

"Well, I know one thing, Matt." Tyler got up, walking to the window. "I've never seen anyone with the determination and willingness to fight that I've seen in you. Matt, I know you're going to make an impact someway." He turned to Matt. "Go win that tournament tomorrow. I know you can."

Matt nodded. He hadn't talked to Tyler much the past couple of days because of the tournament, but he was glad that his cousin believed in him. "Thanks, Tyler." Both cousins lay back down. Thanks to that, Matt was able to fall asleep a lot easier. He couldn't wait for his battle with Ricky the next day.

Matt's eyes slowly drifted open as the sunlight shone into his eyes. He heard cheering in the distance, as he looked out the window. One look at the stadium, another panicked look to his clock and Matt knew he had overslept. Tyler was just as deep as Matt was. Matt yelled at him to wake up before running out the door. He couldn't believe he was going to be late to the tournament, after getting so far, too.

He ran in, getting to the trainer's area just in time. "There you are!" Gold yelled at him. "Where the hell have you been, you and Ricky are about to battle!"

Matt's eyes darted to the screen, his picture right next to Ricky's. "Damn it!" he yelled, running up onto the battlefield across from Ricky. "Sorry I'm late," he said.

"Bout time you showed up," Ricky laughed. "I've been trying to stall them."

"I'm here," Matt shouted to the ref.

"Good thing you showed up. We were about to disqualify you," the ref said. "Try to get here on time next time, ok?" He didn't seem very happy.

"Sorry…" Matt said sheepishly.

"Go ahead and send out your Pokémon so we can begin."

"Go, Picante!" Ricky shouted. From the Pokéball came Ricky's powerful Charmeleon, facing Matt. Matt half wished he had picked Flint for this, but after battling so far, he knew he chose right in Raina.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt called, throwing out his Buizel. Matt had a clear advantage, but he wasn't going to count Ricky out so soon.

"After seeing what your Buizel can do so far, I can't wait to face her," Ricky said.

"Battle begin!" The ref shouted.

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!" Matt ordered.

As the watery bullet that was Raina charged at Picante, Ricky shouted, "Smoke Screen!" The field filled with black smoke, covering Raina but not faltering her as she collided with the Fire-Type, dealing a hard blow. She jumped back through the smoke, it now separating the two.

"Use Dig, Picante!" Ricky shouted. The Charmeleon charged into the ground. Matt was tempted to fire a Water Gun into the hole, but he couldn't see it with all the smoke. Suddenly, she popped up right below Raina, knocking into her and sending her flying.

"Recover, girl!" Matt shouted. "You're still in this!" Raina stood up very quickly, facing the Charmeleon who had just jumped through the smoke again. "Clear the smoke away with Rain Dance!"

"Bui!" Raina shouted, summoning the clouds that made her faster than ever before. The rain drops cleared the black smoke separating her and her target. The Buizel eyed the Charmeleon. She had her right where she wanted her.

"Use Bite, Picante!" Ricky yelled.

"Dodge it!" Matt said, but he called it too late. The Charmeleon chomped down on Raina's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. _Wait, _Matt thought. "Use Water Gun!" The Water-Type shot a strong stream of water straight into Picante's face, knocking her off and down on the ground.

"Get up, Picante!"

"Finish with Aqua Jet!" Matt called. With Raina's speed, there was no way the Fire-Type would be able to get up. Sure enough, Raina slammed into the downed Charmeleon for the final time, knocking her out.

"Picante the Charmeleon is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins, meaning the victor is Matt from Oreburgh City!"

The crowd started cheering yet again as Tyler walked into the stands. "Dammit, I missed it! I really gotta fix my alarm clock."

"That was so cool!" Alex yelled, sitting in the stands right next to the entrance. "Tyler, you missed it, Matt was on fire! Well, actually, he put out the fire. But either way, he did so well!"

Tyler laughed. "Glad to hear. It's too bad I slept in and miss-" he paused. "Wait, how did you get here by yourself?"

Matt walked over to Ricky, who called back his Charmeleon. "I can tell you two are really close," Matt told him. "Thanks for the great battle."

Ricky nodded. "Likewise. You and Raina earned it." Both trainers returned their Pokémon. "Don't go losing to anyone now," Ricky said, as the two went back to the competitors' area. A few of the others stared at Matt for being so late, but he didn't really care. He was in the final four and he couldn't be more excited.

Gold was the last battle. If he won, he would join Matt in the next round as well. But considering his next opponent was using a Grass-Type, it wasn't going to be easy. Matt and Ricky sat next to each other, watching closely.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" Gold yelled, as the Water-Type shot a ball of mud at his opponent, a Cherrim.

"Use Sunny Day, Cherrim!" Gold's opponent, a girl named Wendy shouted. Cherrim brought out the sun above them, causing it to open up into a bright yellow, happy face, facing the Marshtomp.

"Now, use Icy Wind!" Gold yelled. The Water-Type let out a cold air stream at the Cherrim, surrounding it.

"I didn't know Marshtomp knew Icy Wind," Ricky said.

"Gold must have been saving it for a predicament like this," Matt replied, "A good way to cover his biggest weakness."

"Cherrim, use Solar Beam!" Wendy yelled. Since it was sunny out, it didn't need a turn to charge. The Grass-Type fired a powerful beam of light at Marshtomp.

"Protect yourself!" Gold yelled. The Water-Type put its arms in front of the beam, weakening it slightly, but still taking serious damage. "Now use Icy Wind again!"

Another cold blast to Cherrim was followed by another command for Solar Beam. Cherrim charged up and fired, but missed its target!

"What happened?" Wendy shouted.

"A little thing called Mud Bomb," Gold said. "It lowered your Cherrim's accuracy. I had to protect myself from your powerful Grass-Type somehow. Alright, Marshtomp, use Icy Wind one last time!" With one last breath of cold air, Cherrim was down.

"Cherrim is unable to battle, Marshtomp wins, meaning the victor is Gold from Sootopolis City!" The ref shouted. After congratulating his opponent, Gold came back down to Matt and Ricky, who high fived him.

"Great strategy with Mud Bomb," Matt said.

"Thanks man. It was a bit of a blind bet, though. Glad it paid off."

Kingsley got onto the speakers and started talking yet again. "Thank you all for coming out for what was yet another day of great battling and talented trainers. I'd like to present out final four trainers, which we'll show on the screen right now!

Each trainer appeared on the top of the screen to start, and the picture of them came down when Kingsley spoke about them. Matt's was first. "Meet Matt from Oreburgh City. He's been jetting his way through the tournament with his Buizel's incredible speed." Another trainer's came down next. "Our next trainer is Gage from Blackthorn City in the Johto region. He and his Sneasel have been swiftly slashing their way through to this spot." Another trainer, this one female, appeared. "Next up, meet Rhonda: a Hearthome native who made it this far with her cunning Espeon!" Matt hadn't seen Rhonda this entire tournament, which was odd, considering they had both made it this far. Gold's picture came up last. "And finally, we have Gold from Sootopolis City in the Hoenn region! Gold and his Marshtomp have battled the odds multiple times, earning him his spot. Join us all tomorrow; where these four will be narrowed down to two in what are sure to be battles of the ages." The screen flashed with match-ups, showing Matt against Rhonda and Gage against Gold.

As the crowd burst into applause, the four remaining trainers looked at each other, all of them determined to win.


	20. Episode 20: The Semi-Final Seires

Episode 20

After yesterday's mistake of sleeping in, Matt made sure he was the first to get to the tournament today. Part of it was because he woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep, but he was in the stadium nonetheless. He figured a walk there would help clear his head before his battle today. He let Raina out of her Pokéball, and the two watched the sun rise over the top of the stadium.

"Just think, Raina," Matt said. "We're only two battles away from winning this tournament. You know, this may sound strange to bring up, but…remember the day I caught you? You didn't want me to, I remember that. But you know? I'm glad you decided to come with me. I mean, look at where we've gotten ourselves. And on this battlefield, too. I know we can win this today, Raina." Matt turned to her, and she looked him in the eye.

"Bui!" She said, nodding her head. Matt couldn't wait until his battle happened. But win or lose, he knew he and Raina were going to stay strong through it all.

"Welcome, one and all, to the semi-final round here at the Hearthome Tournament! I am your host, Roland Kingsley. Without further adieu, let's get started with today's two battles!" The crowd erupted, eager to watch. "Our first battle today is between Gold from Sootopolis City, and Gage from Blackthorn City, Two foreign battlers who have certainly made their mark in the Sinnoh region!"

The two trainers positioned their selves on each side of the battlefield. "Nice to meet you, Gage," Gold said.

"Let's just battle, shall we?" Gage said, his arms crossed.

To himself, Gold said, "Woah, tough guy here."

"Battlers, send out your Pokémon!" The ref shouted.

"Go, Marshtomp!" Gold said, his beloved Water-Type popping out.

"Sneasel, time to battle!" Gage yelled. Matt remembered seeing that Sneasel win before, it was really powerful. Gold was going to have a hard time, but after seeing what he did against the Cherrim, he didn't doubt him for a second.

"Battle begin!" The ref called.

"Sneasel, use Fury Swipes!" Gage said. The Ice-Types sharp claws slashed again and again at Marshtomp before jumping back.

"Water Gun!" Gold yelled. The stream of water slammed into the Sneasel, but it brushed it off.

"Quick Attack!" With great speed, the Sneasel slammed into Marshtomp, knocking him down.

"Get up, Marshtomp!" Its trainer yelled. Marshtomp got up quickly. "Great. Now use Mud Bomb!" The Water-Type flung a ball of mud at Sneasel, covering it in mud, lowering its accuracy.

"I saw what you did last round, lowering the Cherrim's accuracy. That won't work with us," Gage said.

"Hm?" Gold wondered.

"Sneasel, use Faint Attack!" The Dark-Type disappeared; appearing again seconds later right in front of Marshtomp in a shadow of energy, knocking him over.

"Faint Attack never misses," Matt said to Ricky, who was still there watching. "Gage knows what he's doing, that's for sure."

"Use Mud Bomb again, Marshtomp!" Gold yelled. Even if Sneasel's accuracy loss didn't affect it much, it was still his strongest move. The ball of mud collided with Sneasel yet again.

"You think the same strategy will work over and over again, huh? Hit him with Faint Attack again." The Sneasel knocked Marshtomp to the ground yet again. "It won't."

"Get up, Marshtomp!" Gold yelled. The Water-Type slowly got up, but it was weak. "Hurry, and use Mud Bomb!"

"Faint Attack," Gage said at the same time. The mud narrowly missed Sneasel as it disappeared into the shadows, knocking Marshtomp down for the last time.

"Marshtomp is unable to battle, Sneasel wins, meaning the victor is Gage from Blackthorn City!"

Gold stared at the battlefield, unable to believe it. "We…we lost…" He went over to help Marshtomp sit up, making sure he was ok. "Thanks buddy. We'll get him next time." He returned him, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"You've got a lot to learn," Gage said. "You've impressed me by getting this far. But you can't rely on the same strategy over and over." He extended his hand, helping Gold up. "Thanks for the battle, though."

The young trainer shook it with a nod. "You too, Gage." The two headed back for the bleachers. Matt and Rhonda were up next. Even though Gold lost, and Matt couldn't face him, he was still determined to win.

"Nice to see you again, Matt," Rhonda said. "I trust that Lunar's doing well?"  
"He sure is. He's really got a knack for showing off."  
Rhonda laughed. "That's him for you. But even if he is a show off, he's a protector of his friends." Matt thought about how Lunar protected him from the Zangoose, and couldn't think of anything truer. The two took their places and got positioned to battle.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt called.

"Espeon, it's your turn!" Rhonda yelled. The orange Water-Type and the pink Psychic-Type faced each other, expecting a great battle ahead of them. "Don't disappoint me now."

"Battle begin!" The ref called.

"Aqua Jet!" Matt called. Raina's speed allowed her to collide with Espeon quickly, doing some early damage.

"Espeon, use Calm Mind," Rhonda said. Espeon closed her eyes, honing her mind and raising her Special Attack and Defense.

"Use Water Gun!" Matt called. Raina shot water at Espeon, but the damage done was much less than normal.

"Psybeam!" Rhonda called. Espeon shot a small beam of energy into Raina's chest, pushing her back a few feet.

"Keep your head in it, Raina, and use Aqua Jet again!" Matt knew special moves like Water Gun wouldn't hurt Espeon, but his Buizel's speed certainly would. The bullet of water collided with Espeon again, knocking her over.

"Hypnosis, Espeon!" Rhonda called. The red mark on Espeon's forehead began to glow, sending out a ring of light towards the Water-Type. When it got to Raina, she immediately fell asleep.

"Raina, wake up!" Matt called.

"She's not waking up for a couple of turns, Matt," Rhonda said. "Use Psybeam again!" Another beam was shot at Raina, who was sleeping standing up. If Matt didn't do something soon, Raina would be defeated easily.

"Come on Raina, wake up! We're so close to the end! We can do this. Wake up and use Rain Dance." But she wouldn't wake up.

"Psybeam again!" This Psybeam knocked Raina over, leaving her on the ground.

Matt could help but bend down this time, staring into his Buizel's sleeping eyes until they woke up. "It's time to battle, Raina. Get up and let's finish this like I know we can!" Suddenly, the Water-Type started to stir. Her eyes popped open, looking into Matt's.

"Bui?" She said, starting to get up. Matt nodded. "Buizel Bui!" She said, louder this time, standing up quickly. She faced the Espeon, having taken a lot of damage, but not backing down yet.

"Use Rain Dance!" Matt called. Raina shouted into the sky, summoning the clouds that have gotten the two out of very tough situations this tournament. They were ready to win.

"Use Psybeam!"  
"Dodge it!" The beam of energy narrowly missed Raina, as she darted to the side. "Great, now use Aqua Jet!" Matt shouted. Raina covered herself in water and quickly slammed into the Psychic-Type, knocking her over.

"Get up, Espeon!" Rhonda shouted. Espeon slowly got to her feet, facing Raina again. "Use Quick Attack!"  
"Aqua Jet!" Both Pokémon charged at each other with tremendous speed, each of them with their last bit of strength. In the end, the one engulfed with water won over, knocking the Psychic-Type to the ground, ending the battle.

"Espeon is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins, meaning the victor is Matt from Oreburgh City!"  
Matt and Raina both jumped into the air, excited that they had won. "We did it, girl!"

"Bui Bui!"  
Rhonda came over to Matt to shake his hand. "Lunar's in good hands with a trainer like you. Thanks for the great battle." Matt returned the shake with a smile. He couldn't believe it, but he was a finalist now.

"Thank you to everyone who has competed in this tournament so far. It's been a phenomenal few days here with you all, and I can't thank you enough for coming out and supporting your fellow battlers in one of the greatest tournaments I've hosted in my career," Kingsley said on the speakers. "But alas, only two remain. Gage from Blackthorn City and Matt from Oreburgh will face off tomorrow in what is sure to be a wonderful battle!"  
Matt and Gage's eyes locked in the bleachers. They've seen each other battle before; they both knew each other's strategies. And they both knew the winner of tomorrow's battle would be the one who could out smart their opponent the most. As the crowd's roar died down and the audience started to leave, Gage got up to leave with them. Matt stopped him.

"Gage, wait up!" He called.

"What do you need?" The trainer turned around.

"I heard what you said to Gold. And I've been thinking, you've been doing a lot of the same things throughout the tournament, too."

Gage sighed. "Have I been? Has every move I've used been the same throughout every battle?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then what the hell are you doing saying that I'm doing it, too?"

"My point is that each Pokémon only knows a specific number of moves, and there's not much you can do to change strategies when you're limited like that. Gold had a strategy that worked for him, and part of him using that move was because it's his Marshtomp's most powerful."

"Hm. I suppose you're right there. But I rest by what I said. You can't rely on the same strategy to work every time. I'll see what you can do in tomorrow's battle, Matt. Until then, see you." And with that, Gage left, not giving Matt a chance to respond.

The young trainer returned to Tyler's house, exhausted. "That was an awesome battle, Matt!" Alex yelled, running up to his brother. "I can't believe you're about to win the whole tournament!"

"We still need to see about tomorrow, buddy," Matt told him. "Gage is a really strong trainer."

"Yeah, but you're better! You'll win for sure!"

Matt laughed. "Thanks, Alex."

"Well well well," Tyler said, entering the room. "Looks like we've got a champion in the making here. I have to say, you've been doing a fantastic job so far."

"I've still got one more obstacle to face."

"Either way, great job. Can I talk to you for a minute, Matt?" The sudden change in Tyler's mood caught Matt off guard.

"Uh, sure, what's up?"

"Follow me." Matt and Alex started to follow Tyler into his room. "Sorry, Alex, but I need to talk to Matt alone about this."

"Darn…ok Tyler." Tyler shut the door, turning to Matt.

"Last night, after you feel asleep, I rode my bike back to Mt. Coronet. There was something about that room that was bugging me, and I couldn't leave it alone."

"Did you get the chest open?" Matt asked, sitting down.

"I did. Well, I didn't personally, but I ran into an old friend."

"Lucario?"

"Good guess. Yeah, he was inside the mountain and I ran into him. I showed him the secret room and he was amazed by it. He was able to help me open the chest!"

"What was in there?" Matt was sitting on the edge of his seat now. Tyler took out a necklace from under his shirt, a small amulet on it. "That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'that's it'? Who knows what secrets this amulet could hold, what powers it could contain, what mysteries it could open! Matt, this amulet could possibly be what we need to stop Team Revenant."

"It could be?"

"Just give it a chance."

"Alright, I guess. Can I see it?" Matt asked. Tyler nodded, taking it off of his neck. Matt took it in his hand, as it started to glow pink. "What the hell?!"

"How did you get it to do that?!"

"I don't know!" It glowed an even brighter pink, as the light started to rise into the air, forming a small portal. Matt dropped the necklace, but it continued to glow. Through the portal came the head of Palkia.

"Help," it said, and the portal started to swirl, pulling on Matt and Tyler.

"What's going on?" Tyler shouted, unable to withstand the force. At the same time, Matt and Tyler were sucked into the portal, and everything turned white.


	21. Episode 21: Speedy Showdown

Episode 21

Somewhere in Sunnyshore City, a pink portal appeared, unable to be seen by anyone except the two trainers who just fell through it. Matt and Tyler landed on their backs.

"Ow…where are we?" Matt said, sitting up.

"I don't know, but we landed pretty hard." Tyler said, rubbing his back. They looked around, noticing they were in a long and narrow hallway. "What did Palkia do…?"

"Yeah, you should've seen how easily that kid was beaten. Boss took him out no problem." Matt and Tyler's heads darted to their left, where two Team Revenant Grunts were walking, one of which was present when Matt met Donald. They must have been in their base! Matt's head looked around for a place to hide, but there was none. But the guards walked right past Matt and Tyler without a second thought.

"I wonder…" Tyler said. "Hey, you two! Why don't you turn around so we can kick your asses?" He shouted loudly down the hallway. Matt shut him up before he could say more, but the guards still didn't notice them. "We can't be seen here…Palkia must have brought us here to show us what Team Revenant is doing!" With that, Tyler scribbled in his journal.

"There must be something we need to find," Matt suggested. The two began to wander the hallways, scanning them for a clue of what Palkia wanted them to find. Matt stopped suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

Tyler stopped too, listening hard. "I think it's coming from over there." He pointed to another corridor, where light was coming through a doorway. "Let's go." The cousins started down the hallway, entering the room. Inside was something neither of them was prepared to see.

Donald and a couple scientists were standing in front of a large panel, which faced three large cages. Inside the cages were Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, all sleeping, and all hooked up to wires, which the scientists seemed to be analyzing. "What are they doing to them?" Even though Matt knew he couldn't be seen, but he felt the need to talk quietly anyways.

"We need more energy from Giratina," Donald was saying to the scientists.

"Yes sir," the one on his left replied. After typing things into the panel, the wires attached to Giratina started to glow. It roared in pain, still asleep. Suddenly, a metal ring near where Donald was standing began to glow purple on the inside, creating a swirling portal. "We did it, sir!"  
"Yes, Rogers, I did." Donald faced the portal, staring into it. "Who knows what's beyond there? What powers await me just on the other side…?"

As Team Revenant was turned away, Matt noticed Palkia's eye open, looking straight at him. Matt yelled to Palkia, "Is this what you wanted us to see?"

Palkia roared in reply, gaining the attention of the scientists. "He's awake," Rogers yelled, running back to the panel. Donald was still staring into the vortex. The scientists ran a couple shocks into Palkia, causing it to roar even more.

"Leave him alone!" Tyler yelled, right in the scientist's face. "What are you doing to these magnificent creatures? What gain could you have with them?" Tyler's face was flushed with anger. He knew they couldn't hear him, but he couldn't help but yelling. As Palkia let out another roar, this one louder than before, the world around Matt and Tyler began to fade away. "No, we can't leave yet; we need to see more, Palkia!"

"I don't think it has the strength to keep us here, Tyler," Matt said. "It wanted to show us where they all were. It needed to tell us that they needed help." The world was fading into white, and soon Matt and Tyler had a hard time seeing each other. "Let's just get back. There's nothing we can do."

Tyler sighed. "You're right, Matt. I just can't stand seeing Legendary Pokémon, or any Pokémon at all, get treated this way. All sight and sound was gone until the two fell out of a pink portal into Tyler's room. The cousins helped each other up. "I have a lot to write down," Tyler said.

Matt looked at the clock. "I have to sleep for the final round tomorrow," he said, although after seeing that, he knew he wasn't going to get much sleep.

Sure enough, he lay in bed, thoughts ablaze with Team Revenant. Oddly, his thoughts were very similar to Donald's. What was on the other side of that portal? Was the reason his Spiritomb couldn't be damaged by anything over there? It had to be. That was the only way, Matt concluded. Worse of all, Palkia and the others were trapped there. Matt knew he couldn't do anything about it yet. But to save those Pokémon and to stop Team Revenant, he would have to get stronger. Eventually, the young trainer's body couldn't handle it anymore, and he drifted into sleep.

"Welcome to the final round of the Hearthome Tournament! My name is Roland Kingsley, and for the final time, I shall be your host for today's event. Today, our match will consist of two battlers who have both made full use of their Pokémon's speed throughout the entire tournament. Please welcome on my left, Matt from Oreburgh City!" Matt entered through the side gate as the audience erupted in applause. Alex was the loudest one up there. He took his spot, waving to everyone. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, but the energy from the crowd seemed to transfer to him. "And now, on my right, please welcome Gage from Blackthorn City!" Matt's opponent entered just as he did, but didn't seem to acknowledge the crowd's applause. Instead, he just faced Matt with a bit of animosity.

"Congratulations to you both for coming this far. However, only one of you can be victorious this afternoon. Please, send out your Pokémon."

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt called.

The orange Water-Type emerged from her Pokéball, landing with grace. She turned her attention to Gage. "Bui Bui!" She shouted.

"Go, Sneasel!" Gage sent out his Ice/Dark-Type, who stared down Raina. Both Pokémon were eager to battle, just to take the other down.

"Battlers ready?" The ref asked. "Begin!"

"Rain Dance!" Matt called. Usually, he waited until the battle had gotten further in before he would have Raina use it, but knowing Gage's Sneasel, he'd had to out speed it as best as he could.

With the rain falling on them, Gage called out, "Quick Attack!" The small Ice-Type collided with Raina, knocking her back.

_Sneasel's really fast, _Matt thought, but then smiled. _But in this weather, Raina's the queen_. "Use Aqua Jet!"

Covered in water, Raina slammed into Sneasel. The speed of the two was matched, the power as well.

"Sneasel, use Faint Attack!" Matt watched as his opponent disappeared into the shadows. He knew Raina was getting hit by it, but he had another idea.

As soon as Sneasel popped in front of Raina, Matt shouted, "Water Gun!" The second Sneasel collided with the Buizel, a fast stream of water collided with Sneasel's face, knocking him back.

"Nice hit," Gage said. "Use Fury Swipes, Sneasel."

"Dodge it!" Matt called. Raina dove out of the way at the last moment, but Sneasel's claw still scraped her. "Now use Aqua Jet!"

"Quick Attack!"

The two speedy Pokémon collided in mid-air, halting each other. Raina looked into the Sneasel's eyes, both of them full of sparks. "Bui!" the Water-Type yelled, summoning enough strength to knock the Sneasel onto the ground.

"I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, Gage," Matt started. "How you can't always rely on the same strategy to win. But you seem to be doing the same things as ever. You rely on your Sneasel's speed to win."

"Sneasel and I have been through more than you know about, Matt. He and I have grown strong together, and we're not about to be beaten by someone like you! Sneasel, Faint Attack!"

"Raina, use Aqua Jet, but don't move!"

Tyler was taking a sip of his drink in the stands when Matt said this. He took a spit take. "What is he thinking?"

"He knows what he's doing, Tyler. Give him a chance!" Alex yelled, on the edge of his seat.

The Dark-Type appeared right in front of Raina, ready to strike, but when he did, the torrent of water surrounding Raina caused him to falter.

"Now, use Water Gun!" The quick stream of water slammed into Sneasel, knocking him onto the ground on the other side of the battlefield.

"Get up, Sneasel! I know you can do it!" Gage yelled. He bent down to see if his Sneasel was ok, and he was. Sneasel stood up, the desire to fight still burning in him. "Great. Use Quick Attack!"

"Aqua Jet!" Matt knew that this would be the deciding blow. Raina had won last time, but both Pokémon had taken a lot of damage. Just as before, they collided in air. The rain had cleared, meaning Raina was back to her normal speed.

"You can do it!" Matt and Gage both yelled at the same time. Eventually, the water rushing against him became too much for Sneasel, and Raina came through victorious once more. Sneasel landed on the ground in front of Gage.

"Sneasel is unable to battle, Raina the Buizel wins, meaning the Hearthome Tournament Champion is Matt Cordia from Oreburgh City!"

Matt stood there, motionless. He couldn't believe that he had one! "I…I did it…I did it!"

"Bui Bui!" Raina yelled, and the two ran towards each other, embracing. Matt couldn't have been prouder of Raina. As the crowd cheered, his eyes wandered over to Gage, who was holding Sneasel in his arms. Matt and his Buizel walked over to him.

"Is he ok?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, he's fine," Gage said. "I was worried for a little bit. Then again, I always am when I lose. Not because of losing, but because of my Pokémon. They're my only friends, and I hate to see them get hurt." Gage returned Sneasel and stood up. "I'd do anything for them. I guess that just means that we have to get stronger, doesn't it?" He turned to leave.

"Gage, wait." Matt said, extending his hand. Gage turned around, and with a shrug, shook Matt's hand.

"You took my advice. You earned it, Matt," he said, before leaving. Gage may have been a tad arrogant, but he cared about his Pokémon. Matt knew he was a good guy.

Kingsley asked Matt to come up onto the podium with him. "Matt, it is with great honor that I present you and your Buizel with the Hearthome Medal. You two earned every bit of it, especially with that great of a last battle."

"Thank you, Sir," Matt said, putting one medal around his neck, another around Raina's. It seemed to fit her.

"And with an amazing battle to end an amazing tournament, I am Roland Kingsley of the Pokémon Battle Association singing off! I'd love to see you all out at Snowpoint City, where the next PBA Official Tournament will be held. I'll see you all then!"

"There he is!" Matt turned to see Gold, Ricky, Tyler and Alex running towards him right outside the tournament hall. "I knew you could do it, Matt!" Alex yelled, the first one reaching him. "That was amazing!"

Matt laughed. "Thanks buddy."

"Good job pulling it off, man," Ricky said, shaking Matt's hand. "You and Raina were the closest pair out there for sure."

Matt didn't really think about that. He and Raina had been distant for the longest time. But that longest time now seems so long ago. "Yeah," Matt said. "She's pretty great. So where are you guys headed off to now?"

"I think I'm gonna head back to Canalave," Ricky said. "I know I can beat Byron, I just have to keep trying."

"That's the spirit."

"And I'm gonna go to Veilstone," Gold said. "There's lots of stuff to do there."

"Are you sure you're not just going for the gambling?" Tyler asked with a small laugh.

"That's only one of the perks." They all shared a laugh before gathering at the gates. Matt would remain in Hearthome to battle the Gym Leader, but as for now, this is where the rivals parted. They all looked at each other, the spark between them still ignited.

At the same time, they all said, "Until next time."


	22. Episode 22: In The Shadows

Episode 22

Matt woke up bright and early. After having won the Hearthome Tournament yesterday, he felt on top of the world. He still knew he had a long ways to go with his Pokémon. But this was a great start, and he couldn't wait to do more. He was in the kitchen before Tyler, a rare occurrence.

"So," Tyler said, walking into the room with a yawn. "Are you ready to challenge the Hearthome Gym today, Matt?"

"I think so. Raina definitely deserves a break, though. She's battled so hard the past few days."

"I agree. Luckily, it's a three-on-three battle. So you'll still have who you need to fight."

Matt yawned. "I'm ready for my third Gym Badge. I gotta catch up with Gold, after all."

As soon as Matt said the words "Gym" and "Badge," his brother came running into the room. "Are you going there now, Matt? Huh? Can I come and watch?"

"Of course you can, buddy. But just remember, after I get my badge today, Tyler and I are going to be leaving. And you can't come with us, ok?"

"I know…" Alex said. "It was fun while it lasted, though!"

"It was. I'm gonna miss traveling with you, Alex. You be good to Earl and Patty, ok?"

"I will Matt!"

"If I remember correctly, Fantina doesn't really spend as much time at her gym like she should."

"Who's Fantina?"

"The Gym Leader," Tyler explained, putting a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "So we better get over there soon before she heads off to the contest hall or somewhere else."

"Good idea," Matt said, finishing off his breakfast.

Tyler, Alex, and Matt all walked over to the Hearthome Gym together, approaching the door. "Hello? Are you there, Fantina? I'd like a battle!" There was no answer.

"Wow…only 8 in the morning and she's already gone," Tyler said, looking at his watch. "I wonder where she could be."

"Right behind you, Mon Cherie," they heard a voice say behind them. The trio turned to see a woman clad in purple, with a pretty wild hairdo. "Tyler, it is so nice to see you!"

"You guys know each other?" Matt asked.

"Oui," The woman said. "Tyler helped me out tremendously many years ago, when I was only just starting at this gym. Had it not been for him, I would not have stayed as a gym leader this long."

"You're Fantina?"

"Indeed I am," she replied. "I both dazzle and chill my challengers with my fabulous Ghost-Type Pokémon! Could you perhaps be a challenger?"

"He sure is," Tyler said. "Fantina, I'd like you to meet my cousin Matt."

"He looks very strong. I'd love to battle him! But first! I must whisk myself away to the back of my gym!" She started past Matt and Tyler, stopping right in front of the door. "If you'd like to challenge me, you'll have to find me there. Au revoir!" She entered the gym, leaving Matt speechless.

"What exactly was it that you did for her?"

"I'll explain later. Come on, this is the fun part," Tyler replied, and they entered the gym.

Matt looked around in the dark. "What kind of gym does this?"

"Fantina's not from around here. She felt like her gym needed something to put her over the edge compared to other gyms, so she has her challengers find their way through the dark to get to her."

"How do we know where to go, tho-" Matt ran into a wall. "Ouch."

"You must be wary of all your surroundings, especially what you cannot see, for the enemy could be hiding anywhere, even in your own shadow."

Matt felt around him. "Are you some kind of poet now?"

"Just something Fantina taught me a while back. It's helped more than you'd think," Tyler shrugged.

_Wary of all surroundings…_Matt thought. He tried to imagine what was around him in his mind. He guessed that part made sense. He had no idea what the enemies part meant, though. He just tried to think. And as he concentrated, the walls almost appeared around him. They were still really faint, but Matt could have sworn he had seen them at least a little bit. He started to walk through it, almost flawlessly. The only time he ran into something was when he stopped concentrating. Eventually, he made it to a door.

"Did we make it?" Matt said, feeling for a doorknob.

"I can't see anything!" Alex yelled.

"Open the door and find out," Tyler said, even though he knew his cousin made it. He didn't say anything else, but all he could hope was that Matt remembered going through the maze in his battle.

"Magnifique," Fantina said, seeing Matt entering the door. She was standing on a dimly lit battlefield. "You have made it through my maze. And since you have done so, you may battle me."

"I can't wait."

"Tyler, dear, none of my referees are in today, do you mind refereeing for us?" Fantina asked.

"I'd be honored."

"Wonderful, darlings! Let's get started!" The three took their positions all around the battlefield, Alex excitedly watching from the sidelines. "Drifblim, it's your turn to shine!" Fantina called, as her first Pokémon popped out of its ball, floating in the air.

"Flint, Let's Battle!" Matt called. The Fire-Type emerged, facing his opponent fiercely.

"Battle begin!" Tyler called from the side.

"Alright, Flint, use Ember!" Matt knew Flint was at a bit of a disadvantage since his Fighting-Type moves wouldn't work on Fantina's Ghost-Types, so he had to rely on his Combusken's Fire attacks in order to beat her. Flint spat out a fireball at the floating Ghost-Type, scorching it.

"Drifblim, darling, use Ominous Wind!" Fantina called. The Ghost-Type summoned dark purple air around it as it blew at Flint, surrounding him and causing him to cough. It didn't seem to do much, but Matt was still cautious.

"Use Ember again!" Another fireball was shot at Drifblim. Matt looked closer to see Ember had worked its magic. Drifblim was burned.

"Great strategy my dear," Fantina said. "But we are not going to let it stop us. Use Gust!" The Drifblim used its arms to conjure up large pockets of air before firing them at Flint, dealing a super-effective blow.

After a few exchanges of Ember and Gust, both Flint and Drifblim were on their last rungs. "Finish him with Ember!" Matt called. With the last fireball hitting Drifblim, he was down. However, when he hit the ground, the Ghost-Type exploded, dealing a high amount of damage to Flint, causing him to faint as well.

"Both Drifblim and Flint the Combusken are unable to battle, this battle is a draw!" Tyler yelled.

"What just happened?" Matt stared at the battlefield dumbstruck, returning his Combusken.

"My Drifblim has a very useful ability. When it goes down, it does a great deal to its assailant."

Neither he nor Fantina had the advantage now, both with two undamaged Pokémon. Matt took out his next Pokéball. "Shade, Let's Battle!"

"Gengar, darling, it's your turn!" Fantina called. From the Pokéball came a fearsome Ghost-Type, whose smile pierced through the darkness.

"Shade, use Razor Leaf!" Matt called. The Roselia let out dozens of sharp, pointed leaves at Gengar.

"Use Shadow Claw!" Fantina ordered. Gengar took a swipe at Roselia, knocking her back.

Matt was itching to try out Roselia's new moves. "Use Stun Spore!" The Grass-Type summoned multiple small spores that scattered onto Gengar, paralyzing it.

"Great strategy, my dear. But you'll have to do more. Use Confuse Ray!" Gengar's eyes focused on Shade, as a ball of light surrounded it. Soon, Shade became dizzy.

"Shade, Use Mega Drain!" Matt called, but when Shade tried to drain the energy from Gengar, it missed, tripping over itself. Thankfully, when Fantina ordered Gengar to attack, it couldn't move.

"It looks like we're stuck, Mon Cherie," Fantina said.

"Not quite," Matt said. "Try using Mega Drain again, Shade!" This time, Shade was able to concentrate enough to draw energy form Gengar, restoring its own. "Great hit!"

"Gengar, use Shadow Claw again!" Just as Shade was able to attack, Gengar swept at Shade, its ghostly hand passing through the Grass-Type, but still doing damage.

"Try for another Mega Drain, Shade!" Shade was yet again successful in taking Gengar's energy. Shadow Claw retaliated, leaving both Pokémon in poor shape.

"Finish him with Razor Leaf!"

"Use Shadow Claw!" Gengar charged through the battering leaves, swiping at Shade while enduring the hit. Shade was down for the count.

"Shade the Roselia is unable to battle, Gengar wins!" And with that, Matt was down to his last Pokémon. He called back Shade and thanked her for the great work. He knew who he was going to use next.

"Lunar, Let's Battle!"

"Eevee!" He shouted, landing gracefully in front of the Gengar. The Normal-Type faced the Ghost-Type confidently.

"Ah, such a cute little Eevee you have!" Fantina said. "Gengar, use Poison Jab!" Gengar's fingers became coated in Poison as it darted towards Lunar, hitting him, but not doing much damage.

"Lunar, use Shadow Ball!" Matt knew that with such a strong move and immunity to ghosts, his Eevee would have a pretty big advantage here. The ball of shadows slammed into Gengar, dealing a large blow to him and knocking him over.

"Gengar is unable to battle, Lunar the Eevee wins!"

"Such brilliance!" Fantina cried. "Your Shadow Ball was performed most eloquently. I know a contest star when I see one!"

"Well, he did participate once, but I wouldn't say a star…" Matt said. His Eevee on the other hand, took the praise quite well.

"It seems we are neck and neck," The Gym Leader noted. "Mismagius, come on out, dear!"

Fantina's last Pokémon emerged. "Magius!" it called. It stared at Lunar, its eyes giving the Eevee a small dose of fear.

"Don't back down, Lunar. We're one victory away from winning!" Matt told his Eevee. "Use Shadow Ball!"

"Shadow Sneak," Fantina said. Mismagius disappeared into the multiple shadows, causing Shadow Ball to crash into a wall.

"Keep your guard up, Lunar," Matt said.

"Now, use Psybeam!" Mismagius appeared to the left of Lunar, shooting a beam of Psychic energy at the Eevee. "My Ghost-Type moves may not work against you, but I still have a thing or two that do."

How could Lunar hit Mismagius if he couldn't see where she was? "Lunar, use Shadow Ball again!"

"Shadow Sneak!" Once again, the Eevee's attack missed, and Lunar was in the middle of the battlefield, out in the open. Matt thought about how he could find where the Mismagius was. Suddenly, he remembered how he had gone through the gym. "You must be wary of all your surroundings, especially what you cannot see, for the enemy could be hiding anywhere, _even in your own shadow_." His eyes darted to his Eevee, and then to himself, when he decided what he had to do.

"Lunar, use Shadow Ball at me!" Matt shouted. Alex, Tyler, and Fantina all looked at him with shock. One look into Matt's eyes, though, and Lunar knew that his trainer knew what he was doing. He used Shadow Ball, aiming it his trainer, but it never reached him. Mismagius was hiding in Matt's shadow, which was between him and his Eevee. Mismagius took a large hit and reappeared from the shadows. "Now, use Sand Attack!" Before Mismagius could react, Lunar shot sand into the Ghost-Type's face, lowering its accuracy.

"Psybeam, Mismagius!" Fantina shouted. Her Pokémon shot the beam, but it landed to the side of Lunar, missing.

"Finish with Shadow Ball, Lunar!" Matt called. Lunar launched his attack with great force as it slammed into Mismagius, knocking it to the ground.

"Mismagius is unable to battle, Lunar the Eevee wins, meaning the winner is the challenger, Matt Cordia!" Tyler called, excitement showing on his face.

"Woo!" Matt called.

"Vee! Eevee!" Lunar jumped up onto Matt's shoulder, smiling and rubbing his cheek onto Matt's. They had done it.

Fantina recalled her Mismagius. "Such an incredible battle, Matt," Fantina said. "Though, I had a feeling you'd win after seeing that you made it through my maze."

"Why's that?"

"Oh, you don't think I planned this, dear? I knew Tyler would give away my secret when you were trying to navigate. You see, I try to teach each and every trainer that comes in here that much more goes into battling than just what is in front of you. The beauty in Ghost-Types is that they are able to vanish, almost into another world!"

Matt smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Fantina. I'll be sure to remember it."

Fantina greeted the three outside the gym. Lunar was perched on Matt's shoulder. "Matt, for such an excellent battle, I'd like to award you with the Relic Badge!"

Matt took it from the Gym Leader and placed it in his case. "My third badge…"

"You've still got a long ways to go. But after seeing the bond you have with your Pokémon, I know you'll be successful. Take care, Mon Amie!"

That night, Matt and Tyler left Hearthome City, and Matt's brother Alex, behind. Matt studied the Town Map, trying to decide the best way to go. "How about we go to Pastoria City?" Matt suggested to Tyler.

"I'm fine with that. There's a lot of Pokémon in the Great Marsh there I'd love to see."

"It's settled then," Matt closed the map. "To Pastoria City we go!"


	23. Episode 23: Backlot Manor

Episode 23

"Sir, we've gathered data on all of our test subjects," a man named Rogers ran up to his boss with a mass of papers. "And our grunts are ready to explore the other dimensions."

"Perfect," Donald said, rising from his chair.

"But, may I ask sir, what is it you want with these other places? You have no idea what's beyond that portal. Our research with Shaymin and that Zangoose went flawlessly, and if we focus our attention on them, we can-"

"Don't you think I know that? I was able to get those two like that through what I'm doing now, with these portals. However, they were never big enough for humans to simply walk through. Whenever a portal would open, we only had enough time to insert a Pokéball of our latest test subject in. When it came back, some rather odd changes occurred to it. So you see, Rogers, the portals are what drives our research. The dimensions we control are what give us power. With these portals, we have power. And thanks to the help of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, we can now travel to these dimensions ourselves."

"That still doesn't really answer my-"

"If I go into other dimensions, I can find the tools to control this one. And then I'll control the next one. Using one dimension, I can completely destroy another, or take it over. There are infinite worlds out there," Donald fired up the portal, staring into it as the Legendary Pokémon screamed. "Just take my Spiritomb, for example. He's not even in this dimension, yet he's my strongest Pokémon. All it takes is the right one." And with that, Donald stepped in, leaving Rogers standing alone.

Matt and Tyler began making their way south on Route 212, having left the city and Alex behind. Tyler was buried in his book, Matt was looking at the scenery, and things seemed to be back to normal for the two. "Pastoria's a little ways away, isn't it?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, it is," Tyler replied, still buried in the journal. "It looks like we're going to have to camp out a night or two."

"After being in the city for so long, I need the outdoors." Suddenly, a burst of water shot in front of Matt and Tyler, causing them both to freeze and Tyler to fall over. "What was that?!" Their eyes darted over to see a Marill coming towards them, firing another Water Gun. "Flint, quick, use Double Kick!" Matt threw out his Combusken's Pokéball, the first one he had grabbed. Matt knew it would probably have been better to use Shade, but he was panicking.

"Busken!" The Fire-Type shouted, kicking the Marill away from them, knocking it out.

Matt helped his cousin up as they heard a voice shouting. "What did you do to my Marill?" A little girl ran over to the small, unconscious Water-Type. "It can't battle yet!"

The two trainers looked at each other, unsure what to say. Matt whispered, "That wasn't just an innocent Marill, it was out to get us."

"I know, but we need to be careful saying that."

To the girl, Matt said, "It was attacking us, I thought it was hostile."

"This guy wouldn't hurt a thing," she said, hugging it. "I'll have my daddy hear about this!"

"May we see your father, little girl?" Tyler asked. "I'll explain the whole thing to him." The girl was taken aback, not expecting Tyler to respond that way. Matt and Tyler both knew Team Revenant had something to do with this, they just weren't sure what. She agreed, picking up her Marill and motioning for Tyler and Matt to follow her. They approached a large mansion. "You live here?" The girl nodded, taking the two inside.

"Daddy, there are some people that want to talk to you!" She shouted the second they entered the mansion.

"I told you gentlemen before, I'll get done with the project when-" A man came around the corner, noticing different company than who he had thought. "Oh, my apologies," he said, clearing his throat. "My name is Mr. Backlot, I own this here manor. How may I be of service to you?"

"We were on our way to Pastoria City, when your daughter's Marill started to attack us. In his panic, my cousin had his Combusken use Double Kick to knock it out so it wouldn't come after us. I'm sorry for hurting your girl's Pokémon, but it was our only option," Tyler explained.

"Hm, yes, I see." He turned to his daughter. "Sweetie, could you give us a moment? We grown-ups need to talk." His daughter ran off to go play somewhere else. "Follow me into my office, you two."

Matt and Tyler entered a room with a desk placed in front of a statue. Mr. Backlot sat down at his chair and faced the two trainers. "I'm sorry sir, we didn't mean any trouble," Matt said.

"Don't worry boys, I understand your actions. The reason I've brought you here is to ask you for a bit of help."

"What do you need our help for?" Tyler asked.

Mr. Backlot cleared his throat again. "You see, in the back of my house, I have a garden. In my garden live dozens of cute Pokémon. It's my prized possession, you're quite jealous aren't you? Of course you are! Unfortunately, the Pokémon in my garden have been acting rather…strangely. That Marill you encountered earlier came from my garden. Usually it's very friendly towards my daughter, but sometimes he randomly acts hostile. And it's not just him; most of the Pokémon in my garden have begun to show odd signs."

"Do you have any idea what could be causing this?"

The man sighed. "I'm afraid I was threatened by some people. They called themselves Team Revenant, and they wanted to use the Pokémon in my garden to do horrible tests on. The machine they brought…It was torturing those poor Pokémon's souls."

Tyler whipped out his journal. "What did the machine look like?"

"It was…a small, metal thing. A purple ring would glow and they'd put a Pokémon inside of it, but it looked far too big to hold a Pokémon. When it came out, it would act strangely. Some of them got mangy, some of them larger. Some of the Pokémon turned into almost lifeless souls. It was so sad to watch."

As he finished, Tyler finished sketching the machine. "I'm so sorry to hear that, sir."

"What do you need us to do?" Matt asked.

"When you knocked out Marill earlier, I noticed its color came back from a once ghostly appearance. Perhaps…if you battle all of the Pokémon in the back, they will return to normal."

Matt looked at his belt, hoping his team could handle it. "I'd be glad to. Anything to help stop those awful people."

"Do you know them?"

The young trainer nodded. "I've been dealing with their 'experiments' for a while now. I'm not stopping until I figure out what their awful plan is and put it to an end."

Mr. Backlot stood up. "You have my support. Now, please, help my Pokémon in the garden."

Tyler watched as his cousin's Pokémon attacked the ones in the back garden. It was a very bittersweet sight. Even though Tyler knew that knocking them out would turn them back to normal, the fact that the poor souls were affected this way in the first place really got Tyler angry. As Matt swiftly fought, Tyler decided to search around the backyard, hoping to find something useful. Perhaps he'd find a mark that the team left, like they've done with so many anklets.

Mr. Backlot had a pretty large garden, which Tyler knew was great for the Pokémon to run around or relax in. It had a pond, some sandy areas, so many trees, and even a small jungle gym. He hoped the Pokémon could get back to playing here soon. Matt was doing a good job returning them to normal, but Tyler was still worried.

A bush rustled near him, and Tyler's hand darted to his belt. "Hello?" He knew it had to be one of the vicious Pokémon Team Revenant tested on. "Come on out!" He shouted half because he was letting Luxray out, half yelling at the Pokémon in the bush.

A small, green Pokémon jumped out of the bushes, landing on Tyler's head. "Pan! Pansage!" It shouted, trying to bite Tyler's hair.

Without thinking, Tyler shouted, "Luxray, use Thunderbolt on it!" The Electric-Type shot a huge wave of electricity at Tyler and the small Pokémon, sending dozens of volts of electricity through both. "Nice shot buddy…" Tyler said, dazed from the shock. Tyler picked up the small Pokémon from his head, a Grass-Type, who was just as dazed. He could tell it was a Pansage now. "Poor little guy," he said. "He didn't even stand a chance against them." It started to stir, its eyes getting bloodshot as the fur on its head got mangy.

"Pan…sage…" it started to say, its voice getting deeper yet louder. "Pansage!"

Tyler knew he couldn't take another Thunderbolt from Luxray, and he didn't want to put Pansage down in case he'd run away. He started to speak. "Calm down, little guy, it'll be ok. Fight the anger in yourself. Think about your friends here; think about swinging in the trees, digging in that wonderful sand. I bet you're really special, aren't you? You look like you're really strong." As Tyler spoke, the Pansage seemed to calm down, getting less and less enraged. "Good job, little guy. You're almost there, you can fight it. You can fight Team Revenant!"

At this point, both Matt and Mr. Backlot were watching Tyler talk to the Pansage. They couldn't believe what his words were doing.

"That's it. Just think about yourself. You are strong; you can fight this, Pansage." Tyler was just as surprised as anyone at what he was saying. But he couldn't stop now. Pansage was close, but he could snap back to hostile any moment. "You're almost there, Pansage. You can do it."

The Grass-Type's eyes were clamped shut; its mind filled with so much conflict. Who was this human, and why is he trying to talk to him like this? Why did he want to attack, yet stay so calm all the same? Wait, Pansage knew he wasn't like that. Pansage liked playing with humans. Humans were Pansage's friends! His eyes slowly opened as he stopped struggling, looking at the human who was holding him. "Pan?"

Tyler sighed; relieved to see Pansage was ok. "You did it, buddy!"

"Pan Pansage!" it yelled, smiling at Tyler. Suddenly, Tyler's finger brushed across something he didn't notice before. It was a Team Revenant Anklet, but it was around the Grass-Type's tail instead of his ankle.

"Well, look at that, you didn't need to knock it out after all," Mr. Backlot said. "And it seems you've been busy yourself, Matt. It saddens me to see so many of my Pokémon like this, but I can see their health improving already. They'll be fine by the morning. Thank you both for your help. Is there any way I could repay you?"

"Please, sir," Matt started. "If you ever see Team Revenant again, don't do what they say. Your Pokémon deserve better than those awful criminals."

The man smiled. "I will remember that. Thank you, boys. Why don't you two come in for some tea and coffee?"

The pair spent the rest of the day at the mansion, talking with Mr. Backlot and playing in the garden with the Pokémon. They were already starting to wake up from their nightmare, becoming their old selves again.

Night was just starting to fall as Matt and Tyler decided to head out from the mansion. Mr. Backlot thanked them on the way out. But just as the two started to leave, a small green Pokémon leapt from the trees in front of the two. "Pansage Pan!"

"Oh, hey little guy," Tyler said. "How'd you get out of the garden?"

"You know, Tyler, I think he wants to come with you," Matt said. He could tell the admiration in Pansage's eyes. It was the same as Lunar's when they were in the forest together.

"Is that true, Pansage?"

The Grass-Type nodded. "Pansage!"

"Sir, I don't mean to take from you," Tyler turned to say to Mr. Backlot, but the man put up his hand.

"You saved the Pokémon's life. If he wants to go with you, that's his decision. I know he'll be in good hands," Mr. Backlot said.

"Alright then, Pansage," Tyler took out a Pokéball, throwing it at Pansage. He entered the Pokéball and it began to shake. The shaking stopped, and Pansage was his. Tyler picked up the Pokéball. "Welcome to the team."


	24. Episode 24: Crasher Wake

Episode 24

"Time for lunch!" Tyler said. The two had left Backlot manor the previous night, and were now heading down Route 212 after camping out the night. It was time for the two to stop and rest, they'd been walking all morning.

"Come on out, guys," Matt said, releasing his Pokémon. Tyler did the same, giving them all a chance to meet Pansage. The Pokémon played around while Tyler prepared their Pokémon food. He didn't know why, but Matt always enjoyed watching Pokémon eat their food. You could see some of their personality from it. Flint and Raina always seemed to eat it quickly while still enjoying it, where Shade and Lunar ate theirs calmly. He looked at them all and couldn't be happier that he was their trainer.

Suddenly, Lunar's ears perked up. "Vee?"

"What is it, Lunar?" Matt asked.

The Eevee turned to face the forest, growling. "Eevee! Vee!" He shouted. Matt put down his sandwich and turned to face where Lunar was shouting.

A Scolipede emerged from the trees, eying Tyler and Matt angrily. "Scol!" it shouted.

"Quick, Flint, use Ember!" Matt shouted. The Fire-Type attacked the large Bug-Type with its small, yet powerful flames. It was taken aback, but was still angry.

"Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Tyler shouted. The Grass-Type looked at his trainer confused. "Crap, I don't know any of your moves yet!" As Tyler fumbled with his Pokédex, he was knocked to the ground by the rampaging Scolipede.

"Use Ember again, Flint!" Matt shouted. But no matter how many times the Bug-Type was hit, it wouldn't go down or even show signs of stopping. Scolipede rammed into Matt, knocking him to his back and stood over him. The look of pure evil in its eyes stared straight into the young trainer.

"Leave them alone you overgrown caterpillar!" Just as the Scolipede was about to attack Matt again, it was knocked over by a large figure. Matt and Tyler both sat up, looking at their savior. He took a wrestling stance, facing the Scolipede who had its attention on him now. "Come on, you sissy. Show me what you got." The large Bug-Type charged, and the man sidestepped at the last moment, causing it to charge past and lose its balance. "Quagsire, come on out!"

A light-blue Pokémon with a huge smile on his face came out. "Quag!" It shouted, keeping its smile.

"Quagsire, use Slam!" The Water-Type slammed into Scolipede, knocking it over and knocking it out. "Well, now that that's taken care of."

"Who are you?" Matt asked.

The man turned to greet them. He was wearing blue and orange wrestling gear and was very muscular. "Nice to meet you, young man," he said, extending his hand. "The name's Crasher Wake. I'm the Gym Leader in Pastoria City."

Matt shook it. "I'm Matt; I'm actually on my way to challenge you."

"I'll be looking forward to it," he said. His attention turned to Tyler. "Hey, I remember you. You had a Luxray and an Empoleon that you challenged me with a long time ago, aren't you?"

Tyler blinked. "You remember that?"

"Sure do. That was one of the best battles I've ever had. And let me tell you, kid, I'm not easily impressed."

"Wow, thanks Wake," Tyler said.

"That's Crasher Wake to you." He changed the subject. "So, could you two tell me how this Scolipede started to attack you?" He asked, walking over to the fallen Pokémon.

"We were all eating lunch and he charged out of the forest," Matt said. "We had no time to react, and when I had my Combusken use Ember to attack it, it wasn't phased by it at all!"

"Interesting…" Crasher Wake said, examining the Bug-Type. "Ah, this is what I was looking for." He pulled something off of Scolipede's leg. "These assholes have been doing all kinds of experiments on the Pokémon around here for the past couple of weeks. I keep finding these anklets on their legs."

"You know about Team Revenant?"  
The massive Gym Leader nodded. "Mhmm. They've been coming out of Sunnyshore City like mad men, but I can't get Volkner to do anything about it. I swear, that man needs to find some more motivation otherwise he's never going to be a good Gym Leader."

Matt opened his bag to show Wake the anklets he had collected. "We've been dealing with them for a while now. And we know what their plan is."

Crasher Wake looked at the two trainers in awe. "How did you two…"

"It's a long story," Tyler said. "Do you have the time?"

"Why don't you two come to the Ranger Hut just outside the swamp? We can stay there while you two tell me what you've seen."

The ranger was out, but the door was open. Wake said he'd explain if the ranger returned and they were still there. Matt told him about the cavern in Mt. Coronet, the dream he had during the tournament, and what happened when Matt touched the amulet when Tyler brought it to him. When they told Wake about the Pokémon being held captive, he slammed his fist down on the table. "Those assholes think that they can get away with that?!"

"We know they have evil plans. We know that they're using the Legendary Pokémon's power," Tyler said. "Now we just need to stop them. You said they were from Sunnyshore City?" Wake nodded. "Then after Pastoria, we'll go there."

"You boys sure do have the drive to stop these freaks," Wake said, standing up. "If I hear anything more about them, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Really?" Matt asked. "Thanks Wake."

"That's Crasher Wake to you." He looked at his watch. "Shit, I'm late for a Gym Leader meeting in Hearthome. Sorry boys, but our time is up."

"Thanks again for saving us back there," Tyler said, shaking the Leader's massive hand.

"Hey, any time." Just as Wake was about to leave, he turned around and said, "Hey kid." Matt turned to him as he tossed the anklet from Scolipede to him. "Take this. Remember what you're fighting for. If you're fighting something for the wrong reason, then why the hell should you fight?" And with those words, he left the ranger hut.

The two decided to finish their lunch at the edge of the swamp. "You know Matt," Tyler said. "You and I have never battled each other, have we?"

Matt thought about it. "You're right, we haven't. Why don't we have one right now? You can try out Pansage's moves against me."

"I'll take you up on that offer. Let's just have a one on one battle, though. The day is still young after all." Matt and Tyler left their Pokémon outside of their Pokéballs to watch the battle. "Pansage, let's show them what we can do."

The small Grass-Type jumped in front of Tyler. "Pansage! Sage!"

"Lunar, do you want to battle?" Matt asked.

The Eevee nodded, gracefully placing itself in front of Matt. "Vee! Eevee!"

Tyler checked his Pokédex to see what moves Pansage knew. "Alright, Pansage, use Leech Seed!" Tyler's new Pokémon threw large seeds onto the Eevee, attaching to its fur.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Matt called.

"Dodge it, Pansage!" Tyler ordered. The Grass-Type leapt into the air, avoiding the Eevee's attack. "Great, now use Seed Bomb!" From Pansage's mouth came multiple large seeds, which crashed into Lunar, sending him back a few feet.

"Quick Attack!" Matt yelled. Before Pansage could react, the Eevee slammed into him, knocking him over. The seeds on Lunar's fur began to glow, sending energy to Pansage.

"Use Bite!" Pansage charged at the Eevee, clamping down on its side.

"Quick, Lunar, while he's still there, use Shadow Ball on him!"

"Huh?" Lunar shot a ball of energy at Pansage, who was biting hard on his fur. The Shadow Ball knocked the Grass-Type off and away, doing a good amount of damage. Leech Seed took its effect again, healing Pansage and hurting Lunar. Tyler looked at his cousin, impressed. "I must say, you're getting pretty crafty."

Matt shrugged. "I just do what seems right."

"Well, whatever it is, it works," Tyler said. "Pansage, use Seed Bomb!"

"Shadow Ball!" The large seeds slammed into the large ball of darkness, a couple passing through, a couple stopped by it. The ball disappeared as the seeds slammed into Lunar. Leech Seed stole the Eevee's energy once more. "Lunar, are you alright?"

He turned to Matt. "Vee! Eevee!" He showed confidence on his face, and Matt knew he could still go on.

"Great. Use Quick Attack!" The small Normal-Type dashed towards its opponent.

"Use Seed Bomb again!" As Lunar ran towards Pansage, he was bombarded by seeds. They slowed him down slightly, but the two still collided. Both lost their balance and ended up rolling together until they stopped just short of Tyler. Neither of them seemed like they could battle any more. "I think that's it for right now, Matt. Those two don't seem like they can take much more."

"You're right," Matt said, walking over to them. He helped Lunar up. "You did a great job, buddy. I love your confidence out there."

Lunar nodded, staring into his trainer's eyes with adoration. "Vee!" He jumped into Matt, making the trainer fall over as he buried his head into his chest.

"You and I make a pretty good team, too, Pansage. I'm glad to have you," Tyler picked up his Pokémon, looking him in the eye. The Grass-Type scurried up his shoulder, resting on Tyler's orange hair. "We should probably get going, you guys. The swamp's going to be tough to get through, and it would suck to be in the middle of there when night falls." The trainers called their Pokémon back and faced the start of the swamp. Pastoria City and Matt's fourth Gym Battle were just on the other side.

Despite all of the tiny bugs swirling around their heads, the deep spots in the mud, and the warm temperature for the region, the trek through the marshland wasn't that difficult. "There it is!" Matt called, looking ahead. "Pastoria City's dead ahead!"

"Let's go, Matt," Tyler said. Matt nodded, and they began to make their way. Suddenly, Tyler screamed, sinking waist deep into the swamp. "Matt, help!"

Matt ran over to his cousin and tried to pull him out of the mud. But as he pulled up, the mud pulled him down, and soon the two were stuck mere inches apart. Neither could get themselves free from the swamp, and no one was in sight.

"We're stuck!" Matt shouted. Tyler moved his arms underneath the mud to try and reach something. There was only one thing he could think of. "What are you doing? You're only making yourself sink faster!"  
"Relax, Matt! I'm scared, too, but panicking and hastiness aren't going to get us out of this." His arm popped up just above the mud holding a Pokéball. "Pansage, help us out!" Tyler released Pansage onto a solid area of ground. "Use Vine Whip and get us out of here!"

Two small, but sturdy vines come out of Pansage's shoulders as they wrapped around his trainer. The Grass-Type grabbed the vines with his arms and started to pull. Tyler was lifted just enough to where he could climb out himself. After Pansage pulled him out, Tyler grabbed a rope from his bag and threw it at Matt. He and Pansage both pulled, rescuing Matt from the mud. "Thanks Tyler. You too, Pansage."

"Pan!" The small monkey smiled, almost as if saying "You're welcome."

Tyler sighed. "That was close."

"Sorry for panicking like that…" Matt said.

"It's fine, Matt. But if you keep being so hasty to get a result, some bad things are going to happen."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Matt and Tyler made it to Pastoria City just before nightfall. His battle with Crasher Wake was just around the corner.


	25. Episode 25: Smoke on the Water

Episode 25

Matt awoke from slumber in the middle of the night. He had another dream from Dialga, this one identical to the last one. He was in the Pokémon Center with Tyler, who was still asleep. He laid his head back in his pillow, trying to decipher what all the images meant. He understood the one with Lucario, he was using an attack. But he had never seen a Skarmory or a Ninetales before, at least not together like that. And were they talking? Matt didn't understand it one bit. He rolled onto his stomach to try and fall asleep again, but it was no use. Matt got up and went to the window, looking outside. Pastoria City was full of water, swamps, and ships. He liked the feel of it a lot. Something caught his eye below the window. A couple people dressed in white were attacking someone, who was defending herself with a Wartortle.

"Wait," Matt whispered. "Wartortle!" His eyes darted to its trainer. He couldn't see much in the dark, but he vaguely made out his opponent from the first round of the Hearthome Tournament. And she was in trouble. Matt darted out of the room, grabbing his belt.

Tyler sat up for a moment. "Matt?" He looked around the room, his cousin absent.

Matt flew out of the Pokémon Center's doors and around the back to where Evanna was fighting two Team Revenant goons. Her Wartortle was pitted against a Krokorok and a Klang, easily outnumbered. "Flint, Let's Battle!"

Evanna turned around just as Matt's Combusken popped out next to her Wartortle, Leeyum. "Hey, it's you."

"No time for reintroductions," Matt said, panting. "We have a bigger problem."

"Right," she nodded. "Leeyum, use Water Pulse on Krokorok!"

"Flint, use Double Kick on Klang!"

The Fighting-Type slammed into the Steel-Type with its feet as Evanna's Wartortle let out a ring of water that enveloped the Krokorok.

"Krokorok, use Bulldoze on that pesky trainer's Combusken!" One of the members called.

"Klang, Gear Grind that pathetic Wartortle," called the other.

"Intercept him with Double Kick!" As the Krokorok charged towards Flint with great and powerful speed, Flint and Matt both watched his every move. "Now!" Seconds before they collided, Flint leapt and slammed into the Krokorok, knocking him onto its back and out for the count. Leeyum had blocked Klang's Gear Grind with a Rapid Spin, and was now hitting it with another Water Pulse. "Ready to finish this?" Matt asked Evanna. She nodded. "Flint, use Ember!"

"Leeyum hit it with another Water Pulse!" The ring of water surrounded the stream of fire, colliding with Klang and knocking it out for good.

The two grunts returned their Pokémon. "Shit, that kid's good. Let's get out of here!" They disappeared away from the lights of the Pokémon Center and out of sight.

Evanna went over to check on Wartortle. "Good, you're not hurt. I'd hate to see you get hurt by those freaks." She looked up to Matt. "You saved Leeyum's life, you know. Those guys wanted to take her, and I don't know why and…" She started to tear. "I don't know what I would do without her."

"It's ok, Evanna. We stopped them. That's what matters."

She dried her tears. "You're right. Thanks, Matt." She picked Leeyum up, holding him. "So what brings you here?"

"Tomorrow, I'm going to challenge Crasher Wake to get my fourth badge," Matt said.

"I'm here!" The two heard someone shout. They turned to see Tyler running, carrying a Pokéball. "I saw what happened. Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Matt said. "Tyler, this is Evanna. She was my first opponent in the tournament. Evanna, this is my cousin Tyler."

"Nice to meet you," Evanna said, still holding Leeyum.

"Likewise," Tyler said. "So what did Team Revenant want?"

"They were trying to take my Wartortle away. They might have gotten her too if Matt hadn't helped."

Matt looked at Tyler, giving him a look that told him not to ask anything else. They both knew what could have happened to Leeyum, and neither wanted to tell her. Tyler sighed. "I'm glad everyone's safe. You two should get on inside before they come back. Evanna, I'm sure you could get a room from the front counter."

"I have one already, thanks." She sighed. "It's been a long day; all I really want right now is some sleep." The three went inside into their rooms, all wanting as much sleep as possible.

Matt woke up mere hours later as the sun shone in on his face through the window. He sat up, suddenly remembering last night. His thoughts kept coming back to what could have happened if Leeyum had been caught. He tried to push them away as he and Tyler went down to breakfast.

"Are you ok, Matt?" Tyler asked.  
"Yeah," Matt lied. "I'm just tired." Hell, what if Team Revenant succeeded in what they're doing in other dimensions? Then they'd be able to do it to all Pokémon. Matt couldn't stand for that. They finished breakfast and walked outside. It was almost time for Matt's Gym Battle. All he could hope was that Crasher Wake was back from the meeting he had to go to, and he could earn his fourth badge. He was almost halfway there.

The two turned a corner and were run into by a sailor who was running towards the port. He apologized, helped them up, and continued to run. The whole time, he was repeating, "I have to get there, I have to get there."

"Do you think we should go see what's going on?" Tyler asked. "They might need some help."

"You're right, that wasn't just someone late for work." They started to run after him. When they reached the port, they saw a giant ship engulfed in flames. Many Water-Type Pokémon were trying to douse the flames, but the effort was not going well. There were dozens of onlookers, and Matt ran up to one of them. "What happened?"

"Some people dressed in all white hi-jacked it and set it on fire! All of the Pokémon in the Port are in danger and so are the people on the ship!"

"Raina," Matt called, releasing his Buizel. "I need you to use Water Gun to put out the flames on the ship. We need all the power you can, can you do it?"

Raina nodded. "Bui Bui!" She ran closer as torrents of water exited her mouth and landing on the flaming ship.

Matt saw Evanna close to the water and ran over to her. "Evanna, are you ok?"

"That's it, Floatzel, bring them here." She said to her Pokémon in the water, who was carrying a lot of Water-Types on its back. "Thank you so much. Go get more!" She helped the Pokémon onto land. Most of them had severe burns, a few of them poisoned from the ship leaking oil. "Those bastards think they can harm these beautiful creatures, huh? Well, they haven't dealt with me, yet!" Her voice had turned angry.

"Tyler!" Matt called out. His cousin ran over. "Have Luxray help you take these Pokémon to the Pokémon Center."

"Right, good idea," Tyler said. His Electric-Type was more than offering to carry the fish Pokémon on his back as Tyler carried some in his arms. "We'll be back!"

Matt looked up to the burning flames. There were people still on the ship, but it would be impossible to go up there without getting burned….unless you couldn't get burned… "Flint, I need your help!" Matt called, releasing his Combusken. "How high can you jump?" The Fire-Type demonstrated by leaping about ten feet into the air-impressive, but nowhere near the height he needed to get into the ship.

"Raina, come here!" Matt called to his Buizel. "Evanna, I need your help to propel Flint into the ship." Raina appeared at Matt's side. "I need your Pokémon to all use Water Gun at the same time."

"That I can do," she said, calling over Leeyum, a Dragonair, and a Prinplup. "Before you guys continue to put out the fire, I need you all to use Water Gun to shoot that Combusken into the ship."

Matt kneeled next to Flint. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through this, Flint, but you're the only one who can withstand the heat the fire is causing. If you see someone from Team Revenant, run. If you see anyone else, get them out. Can you do that?"

Flint nodded without hesitating. "Busken! Combusken!"

His trainer smiled. "Awesome." Flint got into position, and the four Pokémon propelled him up into the flames, getting rid of some in the process. "Good luck in there, Flint. I know you can do it."

Evanna started to yell at the ship. "Why would you set the ship on fire and endanger so many lives of both people and Pokémon?"

"They're cruel people. All we can do is help right now." Suddenly, Matt thought of something. "Maybe Crasher Wake can help us!" He started running along the docks, looking for the muscular Gym Leader.

On the ship, Flint ran all around the deck, no one to be found. He barged into the storing areas. Running through the flames was nothing for him, but he knew that humans couldn't stand the heat like he could. He heard screaming behind a door. Busting it down, he found two young humans who were cowering together. "Busken!" He shouted, trying to get them to follow him, but they were too scared to even move. "Com! Combusken!" After trying and trying, he finally had to pick the two up and carry them out. Thankfully, they were light.

He burst out onto the deck. Seeing not much of a place to land, Flint knew the only way would be to jump into the water below, even if it would make him a little weaker. He caught the attention of the girl's Floatzel, jumping into the water and having the Floatzel take the children to safety. The Fire-Type convinced the other Pokémon to propel him up once more as he inspected almost every room on the deck, saving almost a dozen lives.

"Wake?" Matt called out in the crowd, who were all glued to the ship fire. "Crasher Wake, are you out here?" He was thinking that it was stupid to call out. If he was there, he'd be doing something about it rather than just watching, like so many of these people we doing. He started back towards where Evanna was to help her get the injured Pokémon to the Pokémon Center.

Flint had scanned the entire upper and the first of the lower decks. Only one remained, and then he could get out of there knowing everyone was safe. He sprinted down the stairs, turning the corner, and was faced with two people in the middle of the floor, not moving. He ran over to them to quickly pick them up until he noticed an "R" emblem on bleach white uniforms. They were the bad guys, the same two that had tried to take that girl's Wartortle last night. Matt told him to run if he saw them. Flint was about to, but something didn't feel right about leaving them there. He hoped Matt would understand. No rooms were on the lowest deck, so Flint sprinted back up the stairs, jumping into the water and out of the ship for the last time.

"Flint!" Matt called. "How are you doing?"

"Busken!" Flint called, swimming as best as he could to shore. "Combusken, Com!" He pointed to Evanna's Floatzel, who was carrying the Revenant Grunts. Matt and Evanna noticed them at the same time.

"They were unconscious on the ship?" Matt asked. Flint nodded. Why would Team Revenant set a ship on fire and then get trapped inside?

"What seems to be the commotion?" Matt heard a voice behind him say as a large hand was placed on his shoulder. The trainer turned to see Crasher Wake, oddly calm.

"Team Revenant set a ship on fire! We've been trying to put the flames out for hours, my friend and cousin have been trying to save the Pokémon who have been hurt, and my Combusken just got back from helping the People who were trapped on the ship."

Wake's temper seemed to go up at the mention of Team Revenant. He looked around the scene, seeing the ship with the still massive flames, a man and a Luxray taking injured Pokémon to the Pokémon Center, a girl and a Floatzel taking them out of the water, the people on shore and walking to the Center, and a panting Combusken who seemed like had gone through a lot. "You three have done all this?"

"Yeah, I guess, but the ship is still on fire! We need to put it out!"

"Leave that to me, son," Crasher Wake pulled out two Pokéballs. "Blastoise! Empoleon! Use Hydro Cannon to douse the flames!" Two large Water-Types, a penguin and a turtle, emerge, and release a powerful torrent of water, wetting the entire ship and completely putting out the fire once and for all.

The crowd on the dock erupted into a cheer, applauding for Crasher Wake and Crasher Wake alone. Most of them were shouting, "Way to go, Wake!" and "We love you, Crasher!"

He turned to speak to them. "Hey now, what are you all cheering at me for? These three and their Pokémon are the true heroes. While you were all standing there doing nothing, these folk made a difference. Hell, this Combusken alone saved who knows how many people? And that Floatzel saved how many Pokémon? Don't cheer for me because I finished the job, or because I'm famous. These kids and their Pokémon risked their lives to save the ship, the Pokémon around it, and all of you standing there. Applaud for them, not for me."

Realizing their mistake, the crowd was at first silent, but then a few started to clap, and soon it erupted into a great applause. Matt stood next to Raina and Flint, Tyler next to Luxray, and Evanna next to Leeyum, her Floatzel, and her other Pokémon as they all faced the crowd, accepting the applause. Matt knew he was helping, but it wasn't until that moment that he realized what exactly he had done, exactly what Flint had done. He bent down once again to his partner, the one who had been with him since the beginning. "I can't thank you enough for doing that, Flint. I'll never ask you to do something that dangerous again."

Flint shook his head. "Bus! Busken!"

"I think he's saying that he wants to do that, Matt," Crasher Wake told him. "Your Combusken is very special. He wants to help those in need."

Matt looked into Flint's eyes. He knew that took a lot out of him, but somehow, Matt knew that Flint would do it again right now if he had to. Their bond grew even stronger that day.

"Sir!" Someone shouted.

Crasher Wake turned. "Yes? What is it?"

The man was panting. "Men…white uniforms…stole your Water Gem."

Wake looked at the two unconscious grunts. "That fire wasn't for the ship. They just wanted a diversion so they could steal the most important artifact in Pastoria!" He kicked a rock next to him, shattering it. He shouted, "They aren't getting away with this!"


	26. Episode 26: Crashing the Tides

Episode 26

A day since the ship fire had passed before Matt approached the doors of the Pastoria Gym. His battle with Wake was just behind them. After yesterday, he didn't want to push Flint anymore than he was already pushed, so he'd take a rest for today's battle. He pushed them open and faced the muscular gym leader, who was standing on the other side of the gym, Tyler right behind him

"I've been waiting for this, kid," Crasher Wake said, his arms crossed. "Yesterday really riled me up. Those bastards stole my most prized possession. But this morning, I knew we were going to battle today. And that got my spirit fired up again."  
"Before we battle," Matt asked. "What exactly is the Water Gem that they stole?"

Wake sighed. "For your help yesterday and your fight against Team Revenant, I'll tell you. But you have to keep this a secret." Matt nodded. Tyler took out his journal, ready to take notes.

"You see, that's not the only Water Gem there is, mine's one of only three. The Gems are held by trusted members in the Sinnoh region, for they hold the essence of Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit: the Lake Trio." Tyler flipped through his journal, locating the section on the Trio. He took notes as Wake spoke. "Lake Valor, Lake Acuity, and Lake Verity are all guarded by one of those three. Deep inside the lakebed contains an unknown power. The power can only be accessed through the use of the Water Gems. I hold the one for Lake Valor, which is on Route 213 right close to this city. I cannot tell you who holds the other two as a safety concern. Thankfully, the power can only be used if all three are obtained."

"Does that mean we're safe for now?"  
Wake shook his head. "If they knew I had one, they most likely know who else has one. I've already alerted the other guardians to keep an eye on theirs, and hopefully we can stop them from unleashing the true power the lake guardians hold. "I need to trust you two to keep this a secret. Can you do that for me?"

The two cousins nodded at the same time. "We'll keep it secret." Tyler said.

"Thank you both. I know we can stop Team Revenant and their evil plans." He got back into battle position. "Now, I believe we have a Gym Battle to fight, do we not?"

Matt nodded, ready for battle as well. "Let's do it."

The sailor that ran by Matt and Tyler yesterday got up onto the referee stand. "Today's match will be a Three on Three Pokémon Battle. Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. The battle will end when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Battlers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Quagsire, let's go!" Crasher Wake called. The same Pokémon that helped him take down the Scolipede popped out of its ball. The large smile was still present on its face. Matt knew exactly which Pokémon to use against it.

"Shade, Let's Battle!" The Grass-Type emerged from its Pokéball and elegantly landed on the battlefield. Since Wake ran a Water-Type gym, they battled in a pool of water with multiple floating platforms. Shade may have the type advantage, but Quagsire had an advantage in the water. After Roark and Fantina's gyms, Matt knew to always keep the battlefield in mind. It would be essential to winning. "Shade, start it out with Leech Seed!" The Roselia shot multiple large seeds onto Quagsire, soon to sap its health.

"Quagsire, use Slam!" The Water-Fish Pokémon hopped across the platforms, eventually ramming into the small Grass-Type and knocking it off the platform into the pool below. "Jump in after it!"

Matt shouted into the water, "Shade, use Razor Leaf before Quagsire gets close to you!" The Grass-Type released dozens of leaves from its flower hands, colliding with her opponent underwater. The water slowed the leaves down, lessoning the damage done. He had to get Quagsire out of the water before he could do any damage to the thing.

"Swim after it and use Mud Bomb!" Wake shouted. Under the water, the Mud Bomb got even muddier as it absorbed the water around it. It collided with Shade, sending it out of the water and onto a platform. Some energy was sapped from Quagsire, replenishing Shade's health. Matt was thankful Shade had learned that move after seeing how helpful it was to Tyler's Pansage.

"Use Mega Drain to suck its energy!" Matt called. He hoped that it would work through the water; otherwise Shade had very little chance of winning. His hopes seemed to come true as spheres of energy were transferred out of the water and to the Grass-Type. Quagsire was a powerhouse, but Grass was its Achilles Heel.

"Quagsire, jump out of the water and use Slam!" As its trainer shouted the command, Quagsire leapt onto a platform next to Shade before knocking it back into the water, landing where Shade was standing. However, the Water/Ground-Type's last bit of energy was sucked away by the Leech Seed, replenishing Shade a bit but knocking the Quagsire out.

"Quagsire is unable to battle, Shade the Roselia wins!" The referee called.

The Roselia got out of the water, crossing its arms elegantly. "Rose! Roselia!"

"Nice job, kid," Wake said. "But you aren't getting much farther. Gyarados, come on out!" Out from Wake's Pokéball came a massive dragon-like Pokémon, flying in the air. Its face struck fear into both Matt and Shade. "Gyarados, use Brine!" The large Water-Type summoned a torrent of water from the ceiling onto the Grass-Type, finishing her off quickly.

"Shade the Roselia is unable to battle, Gyarados wins!" And with that, the score was dead even.

Matt returned his Roselia. "Great job, Shade. You'll get him next time." He took out his next Pokéball, not ready to back down yet. "Lunar, Let's Battle!" The small Eevee popped out onto the platform facing the large Gyarados. Lunar backed off just a touch, but Matt knew that after the Zangoose attack, Lunar wouldn't be beaten so easily. "Alright, buddy. Use Shadow Ball!"

"Intercept it with Dragon Rage!" Wake responded. The Shadow Ball was met with a rush of energy, causing the ball to dissipate as the energy continued through to hit Lunar, knocking him into the water.

"Hurry, Lunar, get out!"

"Use Bite, Gyarados!" Just as Lunar got out of the water, Gyarados clamped down on the small Eevee, causing it to scream in pain.

"Hang in there!" Matt called. Eventually, Gyarados released the Normal-Type, but not before doing a lot of damage to it. "Quick, Lunar, run underneath him and use Shadow Ball!" As quickly as it could, Lunar started hopping across all the platforms, getting closer and closer to its foe.

"Hit it with Dragon Rage again!" The Water/Flying-Type shot more wisps of energy toward Lunar, but he dodged them with ease. Once he was underneath his foe, he shot up a Shadow Ball, colliding with its underside and making it fall out of the air. The Eevee dodged the falling Gyarados by a hair. "Get up, Gyarados, and use Brine!" Soon after, the Gyarados was back in the air and sending buckets upon buckets of water upon the tiny Eevee. The water was too much for him, and he fainted.

"Lunar the Eevee is unable to battle, Gyarados wins!" The referee called. Matt only had one Pokémon left now, and she was his only hope. He thanked Lunar for his hard work, recalling him.

"Raina, Let's Battle!" Matt's own Water-Type emerged, landing in the water and using the floatation sack around her neck to stay above water. Even though she was in the midst of battle, Matt knew she couldn't help but enjoy herself in the water.

"Buizel, eh?" Wake said. "Nice choice. Show me what she's got! Gyarados, use Bite!"

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!" The orange Pokémon surrounded herself in water and shot up at the Gyarados, smashing into its mouth before it could clamp down on her. Raina fell back onto a platform unharmed, the Gyarados recovering.

"Nice hit, kid. Gyarados, use Dragon Rush!"

"Water Gun!" Matt replied. The two forces missed hitting each other, but went on to collide with their targets. Matt knew only one thing could help him right now: Raina's speed. "Raina, use Rain Dance!"

The Buizel got up on a platform and shouted towards the ceiling. The rain clouds appeared, down pouring onto the battlefield. Raina looked at her massive opponent. She had him right where she needed him. "Bui Bui!" She shouted, ready to fight.

"She's got real spirit, Matt, I'll give her that. Gyarados, use Bite again!"

"Aqua Jet!" Before Gyarados could open its mouth, the swift Water-Type was already charging at it, knocking it down and into the water. It did not get up.

"Gyarados is unable to battle, Raina the Floatzel wins!" The referee shouted, making the score even.

Crasher Wake chuckled as he recalled Gyarados. "This is what I call a fight," he said. "It's been a while since I've fought someone with as much spirit as you. It gets me so fired up!" He let out a roar. "But that Rain Dance of yours was a mistake. Floatzel, Let's go!"  
Out from Wake's Pokéball came an orange Water-Type much like Raina, only larger. It sat on the platform across from the Buizel, staring her down. Matt had seen one yesterday: Evanna's. But seeing Raina next to Crasher Wake's made Matt realize that they were evolutionary relatives.

"We got this, Raina. Use Aqua Jet!"

"You do the same!" Raina was quick in the rain, but Wake's Floatzel was faster. An evolution gave is much faster speed, and his Floatzel reached the other side of the battlefield almost before Raina got off of the ground. She was knocked into the water, Floatzel diving after her.

"Use Swift!" Matt called. It was the best thing he could think of to use under water.

"Aqua Jet, Floatzel!" Wake called. Being underwater seemed to only strength its abilities as it sped towards Raina, the stars from Swift bouncing off of it.

"Swim away!" Matt called. Raina dodge at just the last moment, spinning her two tails to propel herself through the water and away from the Floatzel.

"Chase after her and use Aqua Jet!" Wake called. Spinning its tails as well, Floatzel charged after Raina, closing in. She couldn't get away this time, and was hit out of the water and onto a platform. Floatzel popped up on the other side, next to Crasher Wake. The rain was still pouring down on them, and Matt regretted ever making it rain in the first place. "Still got it in you to fight, Matt?" Wake asked.

Matt looked to Raina, who was just standing up. As usual, the two looked into each other's eyes. Raina wasn't done yet, and neither was Matt. "We sure do, Wake."

The Gym Leader smiled. "That's what I like to hear! As long as you have that spirit in you, you can do anything! Floatzel, let's show them what our spirit can do!"

Wake's Water-Type nodded, thrusting his fist into the air. "Float! Floatzel!"

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!"

"Do the same!" Raina and Floatzel both had a chance to attack this time, as the two bullets of water collided in the air above the platforms. The Sea Weasels stared at each other, determination and strength filling their eyes. They stayed collided in the center for a while, the rain falling down on them and the water from Aqua Jet rushing over them.

"Bui…"

"Float…"

Eventually, one of the two was unable to hold out any longer. Raina was pushed back by the Floatzel's might, and was knocked back onto the platform nearest Matt. She got up, but could barely stand.

"Are you ok, Raina?" Matt asked her. She turned around and nodded, but Matt knew she was struggling. "We can do this. I know we can. Use Swift!"

"Ice Fang!" The stars scattered off of Floatzel, doing some damage as it charged towards Raina. Icicles formed on the Floatzel's teeth before it clamped down on the smaller Buizel, doing a good amount of damage before releasing.

"Bui…Bui…" Raina stood up very weakly. Matt asked her the same question again, but after she nodded, she fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"Raina the Buizel is unable to battle, Floatzel wins, meaning the victor is Gym Leader Wake!" The Gym Leader looked at the referee, annoyed. "Sorry. Crasher Wake!"  
Matt leapt to a platform, picking up Raina and taking her across. "You did a fantastic job, girl. I'm so proud of you, even if we lost." She opened her eyes, looking up to her trainer. "We'll win next time, ok?"

Raina's determination came back into her eyes. "Bui Bui!" She yelled.

Crasher Wake walked over to them. Trainer and Pokémon stood up, greeting the Gym Leader. "I cannot thank you two enough for that battle. You've got some real talent, Matt, and your Buizel's pretty good herself."

"Bui Bui!" She yelled, crossing her arms confidently.

Wake laughed. "Don't give up, now. I'll be waiting to challenge you again in a few days' time." He put out his large hand. "You've got the spirit to win. Use it well, and it will get you far, kid."


	27. Episode 27: Pastoria and Present

Episode 27

After yesterday's loss to Crasher Wake, Matt was determined to train his Pokémon even more. He was strong, and they had a lot of work to do before they stood a chance at beating him. He was having Shade and Raina battle each other in a small forest just outside Pastoria. This way, Shade could strengthen her Grass-Type moves and Raina could overcome her weaknesses. Matt was going to make sure he won the next time they fought. Tyler was at the sidelines, half watching and half reading his journal. The rest of both Matt and Tyler's Pokémon were outside of their Pokéballs, relaxing.

"Alright, Shade, use Razor Leaf! Raina, use Water Gun to knock them away!" Dozens of tiny leaves were shot towards Raina, who was able to deflect most of them with her stream of water. Some still went through, hitting her in the chest. "Try it again, you two! Shade, try to get them all to hit Raina this time!" This time, though, the leaves were larger in size but smaller in number, having a bit of a purple tint to them. They shot at Raina, and she was unable to avoid them. "Whoa, what was that?"

"I think Shade just learned a new move. That looked a lot like Magical Leaf."

"Alright, let's try this out. Use Magical Leaf on Raina! Raina, try to dodge as quickly as you can!" But no matter which direction Raina darted in, the leaves hit her every time. "Sorry about that, Raina." Matt apologized, but he knew she could take it. He bent down to Shade. "With this new move, we'll win for sure!"

Shade crossed her arms, doing a small spin. "Rose! Roselia!"

Matt laughed. "Alright you guys, time for lunch!" They all cheered as Matt and Tyler took out the Pokémon food from their backpacks and then set them out in bowls, ready to be eaten. Magical Leaf was going to help him a great deal with his next battle with Wake, and he couldn't wait to try it out.

"So what else do you want to do today, Matt?" Tyler asked before taking a bite of his sandwich. "Training is great and all, but if you push them too hard it isn't very healthy."

Matt nodded in agreement. "I guess just walk around Pastoria for a bit? I'm kinda tired and I feel like a light stroll will help get me awake again. Plus it'll give these guys a chance to relax.

As they walked, they noticed a commotion going on in the center of town. Crasher Wake was towards the back, and the two cousins want over to him. "What's going on?" Matt asked.

"These Team Revenant assholes are about to say something. I'd run 'em out of town, but I'm curious to see what they have to say first," he whispered, his arms crossed.

In the center of the crowd, two men got up onto a box, raising them above the crowd. One of them was wearing a cloak. A man with short, brown hair began to speak. "Hello, all. Thank you for gathering to listen to me this afternoon. I hope you're having a pleasant one," he said with a fake smile. "My name is Leonard Rogers. I represent an organization known as Team Revenant. Have any of you here ever wondered if there's anything else beyond what's in front of you? Wondered if there is anything more to the universe? Over the past few years, we've been perfecting the means to travel to worlds far greater than our own. And now, we'd like to share it with you all." At first, the crowd seemed to be accepting of it, a few even excited. But Rogers continued. "However, I must explain something first. Our name, in another language, means 'Phantom.' Why choose that name? Because in reality, you are all merely ghosts. There are so many other worlds out there. Some of them are even the same world, but in a different time than ours. You all are ghosts because in those other worlds, you do not exist. You are not interacted with. You are nothing. But _we_ are phantoms; far more powerful than ghosts. We cannot be seen, but we can control. We can act in the other worlds. And soon, these worlds will meet. When they do, who will you be: a phantom or a ghost? Join us, and you will be able to control your own destiny."

Crasher Wake couldn't take any more of it. "That's bullshit and you know it!"

Rogers turned his attention to the Gym Leader. "Is it, Mr. Wake?"

"That's Crasher Wake to you," he started to push his way through the crowd. "Get the hell out of my town and stop spreading your damn lies!"

"Oh, I don't believe we'll be going anywhere," the man under the cloak said. He threw it off, revealing himself. The large figure that Matt had met just outside of Oreburgh was there. "Unless you can defeat me," Donald said with a grin.

"You're on!" The crowd gasped at Wake's response. "Give us some room, you all. This is going to get messy."

Donald chuckled dryly. "Who are you going to use?"

"Floatzel, let's go!" He shouted. His closest partner emerged from his Pokéball, facing the evil team leader.

"Spiritomb, show yourself." A purple swirl upon a gray stone faced the Floatzel, staring at it menacingly. Matt and Tyler looked at each other. As strong as Wake was, they both knew he was never going to win. As the two began their battle, Matt noticed Rogers sneak off. The commotion caused a perfect diversion. He began to move around the crowd, motioning for Tyler to follow. Whatever Rogers was planning to do, they were going to make sure it didn't happen.

Rogers eventually stopped a ways away from the center of town, completely distancing himself from the rest of the townspeople. Matt and Tyler hid behind a building, watching the Revenant member. He pulled out a metal disc which he placed on the ground, letting it expand. A metal ring rose up from it, starting to produce purple and black swirls. Swiftly, Rogers stepped into the portal, as it started to close. "Come on," Matt said, grabbing Tyler's arm. Quickly, they got into the portal just before it closed, sealing them on the other side.

They came out in a place almost identical as before, but with no metal portal. Rogers was nowhere to be found. "What the hell were you thinking, Matt?" Tyler yelled.

"Who knows what he could have been doing? We need to find him and stop him!"

"Matt, do you have any idea where we are? You do realize we just stepped into a portal and got transported to some place who knows where in the universe, right?"

The young trainer looked around. "Doesn't this place seem familiar to you, though?"

Tyler followed Matt's gaze. "Are…are we still in Pastoria?" The buildings and land formations were exactly the same as before the entered the portal, just in a different…style almost. "Wait, what was that Rogers said back during his speech? About different times?"

A man was walking by. "Sir, what's today's date?" Matt asked him. "Oh, yes, today's March 23rd."

"The year?"

"2003, what's wrong with you? Don't you know your years?"  
"I'm sorry, sir."

The man walked away, and Matt and Tyler looked at each other. "We're 10 years in the past," Matt said. "That portal made us travel through time."

Tyler backed himself against a building, putting his hand on his head. "How are we going to get back? The portal's not here and we don't know where Rogers is."

"Then I guess we better find him," Matt said. "He's gotta be around here somewhere, and if he came back to the past at this moment, it must mean he's planning to do something in this time period to help out his evil team. Plus, he has to have a way to get back to our time, right?"

Tyler sighed. "I suppose you're right. Let's just be careful and make sure to not say anything that would make it seem like we're from the future." They started to walk around the city. So much had changed, yet so much was the same as well. All they could look for was any sign of Rogers. They looked all around where the portal took them, but didn't see the Team Revenant agent anywhere.

"Oh, so it's you two," They heard a voice say behind them. They turned at the same time and saw the man with the short brown hair standing there. He began to chuckle. "I must say, I didn't expect you to follow me into that portal." Matt's hand slowly crept towards his belt. "Oh, don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I'll even bring you back with me to the future."

"What's the catch?" Tyler asked, skeptical.

Rogers shook his head. "You really think I'm out to get you? Tell me this: Have we met before?"

"No, we've never seen you until today," Matt said.

"So doesn't it confuse you that I know who you are, Matt and Tyler?" The two were speechless. "We know much more than you think. But you see, I was sort of hoping that you would follow me here. After I heard news of your heroic efforts during the ship fire we caused, I knew it would be the perfect time to reveal ourselves to the public. The fact that you were in Pastoria only made it better."

"What are you doing in the past?" Matt asked.

"My, someone's in a rush. You may recall that Wake's Water Gem was stolen by us, correct? Today is the day when Wake hid such Gem. My goal today is to discover the location he hid it and then relay the information to my colleagues a few days before the incident. With the power of Dialga, we have the ability to control and travel through time."

"What do you even need with the Water Gem, though?" Matt asked, though he knew the answer. Wake had told him about the three gems just before their gym battle.

"That's why I'm going to make you an offer. If you two help me find the location of the Wake's Gem, I will take you back to our time. In addition, I will also tell you what Team Revenant's ultimate goal is. Do we have an agreement, gentlemen?" Matt and Tyler looked at each other. They didn't want the Water Gem to be stolen, but they knew it could be the only chance to get back home. With a sigh, they each shook Rogers's hand. "Wonderful. Follow me, and we'll be home in no time."

Rogers led them to the Pastoria Gym, where a younger Crasher Wake was standing outside, about to greet a challenger. A young boy with long orange hair looked up to the still muscular Gym Leader, about to go in to fight him. Tyler paused, hiding. "T-That's me…" Rogers and Matt paused as well. "Sorry for stopping, but…I remember this day. Wake gave me a really hard fight, but I ended up pulling through in the end. It's just…nice to see this." They waited until the entered the Gym before the continued on.

The man from Team Revenant looked in the window briefly, examining the layout of the gym. "There's a back room over there. The layout is a little different than from our time, but that room is still there. Wake should be hiding the Gem after this battle, so let's wait until they finish."

Tyler couldn't help but peak in from the side of the gym to watch his younger self battle. He had to admit, it was a little creepy, but seeing him and his Luxray together at even that age warmed his heart. He was going to make his young self proud.

The battle finished, Tyler having won just like he remembered. As Crasher Wake presented him his badge, Rogers eyed the front door. His target was about to hide the Water Gem any minute now. The Gym Leader entered the Gym, young Tyler having run off in excitement. "Stay behind me, you two," Rogers said, sneaking into the Gym behind Wake. He was light on his feet, and Matt and Tyler were the same.

Thankfully, Wake didn't notice them. His mind was concentrating deeply on the Water Gem. He had to hide it as soon as he could otherwise something bad could happen to it. Wake removed it from its standing right behind his battling platform, and took it into his backroom, leaving the door open. Rogers, Matt, and Tyler could just see inside and saw the Gym Leader tearing up the floorboards, bury the precious gem, and board it up again. They knew where it was, and had to get out before Wake saw them.

Rogers took a Pokémon out from his Pokéball, a large, green blob. "Reuniclus, use Light Screen." The Psychic-Type covered the three as well as itself from anyone looking at it from the other direction. Wake walked out of the room without noticing them, and left the gym. After waiting a couple minutes, the three left as well.

They met up in a remote area of town. "Ok," Matt said. "We helped you out. Now what the hell are you planning?"

"I'll explain as I set up the portal." He took another metal disc out, placing it on the ground. "We're not only concerned with this universe, or 'dimension' as we like to call it. There are thousands, millions, trillions of other dimensions out there. Why stop with ours when we can control them all?" The portal just started up, swirling black and purple. "We'll be put back at the exact spot we left. Thank you for your cooperation gentlemen. I hope we meet again soon." He stepped into the portal, leaving Matt and Tyler standing there, not knowing what to think. Before it disappeared, they stepped in as well, returning to Pastoria.

When they returned, they ran back to the center of town, where Crasher Wake's Floatzel had just been defeated by Donald's Spiritomb. The Gym Leader, defeated, said, "Fine. I guess you win."

"Oh, yes, you're right. But I will be taking my leave now." With that, Donald put the cloak over his head and left the town center, leaving the crowd speechless.

Matt and Tyler went up to Crasher Wake after they all dispersed. "We have something to tell you."

"So you two helped Team Revenant find the location to my Water Gem, huh?" Wake said with a slightly disappointed look on his face. "You two did the right thing, though. Being stuck in the past with no one knowing you're there ain't a great idea. Besides, if you didn't help him, he would have just travelled back later. I ain't mad at you."

They breathed a sigh of relief. "We're so sorry," Matt said. "But we didn't have any other choice.

Wake shook his head. "Don't worry about it. You two did what you had to do and you're safe, and that's what matters. I'm just afraid that we may be dealing with something much larger than we thought."


	28. Episode 28: Rivals Versus the Rampage

Episode 28

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" The Blue Water-Type launched the large ball of mud at its opponent: a Lucario. The golden suit of its trainer shone in the Gym's lighting, a confident smile on the young trainer's face.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" The Gym Leader shouted. The Fighting-Type regained focus, summoning a ball of blue energy before firing it at the Marshtomp, hitting it directly, and knocking it out.

"Marshtomp is unable to battle, Lucario wins!" The referee shouted. The challenger was down to only one Pokémon, the one he had just caught.

"Gabite, let's go!" Out from his gold-colored Pokéball came a Ground/Dragon-Type, facing its opponent. Marshtomp thankfully took a lot of damage out of Lucario, but he had to make sure Gabite could finish the job. "Use Earth Power!" Multiple chunks of the battlefield rose up and slammed into Lucario, damaging it greatly.

"Use Aura Sphere again!" The Gym Leader shouted, her Pokémon firing another sphere at its levitating opponent. It collided, but with another order for Gabite to use Earth Power, Lucario was down.

"Lucario is unable to battle, Gabite wins, meaning the victor is Gold from Sootopolis City!"

"Great job out there, Gabite!" Gold shouted, as his Pokémon jumped towards his trainer with excitement, hugging him.

"You performed well, Gold," Maylene, the Gym Leader of Veilstone City told him, recalling her Lucario. "I present to you the Cobble Badge for such a fantastic battle." Gold took the badge with pride, placing it in his badge case.

"Thanks a ton, Maylene."

After visiting the Pokémon Center, Gold was all ready to check out the city. His team of four consisted of Marshtomp; Liepard, who had just evolved from his Purrloin; Staravia; and Gabite. He couldn't be happier with how hard they've all worked. With four badges under his belt, he was halfway to the Pokémon League. Now that he was all done with his Gym Battle, he could enjoy everything Veilstone had to offer, from the department store to the gambling. He couldn't help but go to the Game Corner first.

* * *

"Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon!" A large Rock/Steel-Type faced a Charmeleon, sending a ball of metal at it, knocking it out.

"Picante the Charmeleon is unable to battle, Bastiodon wins!" The referee called.

The Fire-Type's trainer recalled it, only having one Pokémon left against the Gym Leader's mighty Steel-Type. Thankfully, he had the perfect choice. "Tyrogue, come on out!" The small Fighting-Type popped out, facing the large Pokémon before it. It had the advantage type-wise, but the massive wall in front of it would make it difficult for Tyrogue to succeed. "Tyrogue, use Brick Break!" The Fighting-Type leapt into the air, bringing its hand down on top of Bastiodon, doing a lot of damage for its small size.

"Use Earthquake," The Gym Leader said. Bastiodon shook the ground, doing a large amount of damage to Tyrogue in turn, knocking it to the ground.

"Get up, Tyrogue!" Suddenly, the Fighting-Type began to glow, growing slightly in size. Ricky looked at his Pokémon, amazed that he was evolving. It stood up, its arms and legs growing very long as its head formed into its body. Its eyes narrowed as the glow went away. Standing there was now a Hitmonlee.

"Lee!" It shouted; its voice short and quick.

"Alright, Hitmonlee, let's finish this with another Brick Break!" With great speed, Ricky's Hitmonlee used its long arms to slam into Bastiodon, doing much more damage and this time, knocking it out.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle, Hitmonlee wins, meaning the victor is Ricky from Jubilife City!"

"Alright!" Ricky called out, his Pokémon just as excited. "We did it, Hitmonlee! And you evolved too!"

"Monlee!" It flexed, showing off its power.

Byron, the Gym Leader, chuckled. "You did it, kid. I have to say, it was pretty ballsy to challenge me as only your third badge. But if anyone has earned it, it's definitely you." He pulled out the Mine Badge and presented it to Ricky. "I wish you well. And great battles, every one of them. You earned this badge."

"Thank you, sir," Ricky said. He exited the Gym, finally obtaining his third badge. He wondered how Matt and Gold were doing with their badge collecting. With how many times he had to face Byron, he was certain he had fallen behind by at least one badge.

The salty air of Canalave filled Ricky's nose as he sat on the pier with all of his Pokémon. He had Hitmonlee of course, who had just won him the Gym Battle; Picante, his Charmeleon who he had been with since the beginning; Espeon, who he had caught just after the Hearthome Tournament as an Eevee and who later evolved; and Elekid, his newest Pokémon. Elekid was still a bit weak for a Gym Battle, but Ricky knew he would grow up to be really strong. He was scratching behind Espeon's ears when he heard a foghorn, and turned to see a silver ship with white and teal paint on it.

* * *

After about an hour on the slots, Gold was near broke and decided it was time to stop. The second he stepped out of the Game Corner, he heard a woman scream from down the road. He turned to see a mass of people running frantically. Behind them was a large, red Pokémon, chasing them. Anger filled its eyes. "Dar!" It shouted, its massive hands smashing into the pavement.

Gold grabbed a random person, pulling them into the Game Corner with him. "What's going on?!" He yelled.

The man he grabbed was gasping for breath. "Darmanitan…on the loose…He's too powerful…"

"How did it get so big?" Gold asked, as the larger than usual Pokémon passed by the Game Corner.

"I don't know," the man said, straitening himself out. "But thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing," Gold said, exiting the casino. He had to stop that Darmanitan, and he had one Pokémon that was going to solve that problem easily.

* * *

"What an odd ship," Ricky said out loud, recalling his Pokémon. "There's something up with that. I need to check it out."

He stood up and started towards the end of the pier. An "R" pattern was on the side of the ship. Ricky had never seen it before. He waited until the ship docked completely. A tall man with brown hair got off of the ship and began speaking with an angry man in the shipyard. Clearly the ship wasn't supposed to be there and the dock manager wanted the ship gone. He wasn't really sure why he did what he did next, but Ricky snuck onto the ship. Maybe it was because he needed answers as to who these people were. Maybe because there wasn't anything else for him to do. Or maybe Ricky just felt like he had to do something more. Before the man with the brown hair could see, he snuck onto the large ship. No turning back now. He released Picante quietly, just in case there'd be any trouble. "Keep quiet," he told her. She nodded, and the two started to sneak around the ship.

Ricky went around fifteen minutes without seeing a single person on the ship, as he began to work his way to the deeper parts of the ship. Finally, he entered a room where a few men dressed in white were around a giant metal ring. "Hurry, get it working!" One man, who seemed to be in charge, told the other two. After a minute of working on it, purple and black began to swirl inside the ring. "Perfect. This portal should take us straight to Veilstone. I hope our undercover guys there have finished their experiment by now. This ship is the perfect alibi. Everyone will think we're in Canalave and won't suspect about us in Veilstone. Let's go." The three men entered the portal.

"What are they up to…?" Ricky said under his breath. The portal started to fade, but before it went away, the trainer leapt into it as it closed behind him.

* * *

Gold and his Marshtomp were chasing behind the large Darmanitan closely. Its head was as high as most of the buildings in the city and was as wide as the streets. It wrecked everywhere it went. The trainer knew he had to stop it before it could do much more damage to the city.

"Quick, Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb to try and slow it down!" The Water-Type launched a ball of dirt at the Fire-Type from behind, slamming into its back. It slowed to a halt before turning to face Gold. Its eyes were filled with pure anger as it started to charge the other way. "Shit," said Gold simply as he himself began to run. "Try using Water Gun at its feet!" Marshtomp shot a stream of water at Darmanitan's massive feet, causing it to slip slightly, but it kept its course on Gold with ease. "Use it again!" He shouted. This time, Darmanitan couldn't keep his footing, and tripped, sending its great momentum towards Gold with absolutely no time to react. He put up his arms, knowing that impact was eminent.

"Espeon, use Psychic!" A voice called out. Gold's arms slowly parted to see the mutant Fire-Type frozen in midair in front of him, just as confused as he was.

"I-I'm alive…I'm alive!" He shouted, picking up Marshtomp in a hug.

"You know, a thank you would be nice." Gold turned to see someone he hadn't seen since the Hearthome Tournament. "Good to see you again, Gold."

"You saved my ass, Ricky," Gold said, shaking the other trainer's hand before something came to his mind. "Wait a minute, weren't you going to Canalave? How the hell did you end up here?"

"Long story short: I hopped into a mechanical portal on an illegal ship that took me into an abandoned warehouse after hearing about some sort of experiment happening in Veilstone." Gold's face was blank. "I can explain better later, but I'm assuming that this must be the 'experiment' they were talking about."

"He's been causing havoc all day." Espeon started to struggle keeping him in the air.

"Hang in there, girl!" Ricky cried. "Let's finish him off, quickly. Picante, use Bite!"

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!"

The two Pokémon attacked at the same time, doing a great deal to Darmanitan. Picante clamped down as the Mud Bomb hit the Fire-Type with great force. Darmanitan let out a cry before passing out. Espeon let go of its Psychic, not needing to hold it up any longer.

It hit the pavement with a large thud, shaking the ground. After the boom, no one in the entire city spoke a word. It was soon pierced by the sounds of police sirens arriving at the scene. Officer Jenny hopped off her bike and approached the two trainers. "Are you two alright?" They nodded. "Thank goodness." She then noticed the Pokémon that were panting from battle. "Did…did you stop this Darmanitan?"

"Yeah," Gold said, looking up at it. It was beginning to get smaller as they spoke. Hey couldn't really believe it, but they did it. "I guess we did."

"Thank you so much for your help. We'll handle the situation from here."

"Actually…" The young trainer went up to the Darmanitan and took out one of his empty golden Pokéballs. I'd like to catch him."

"That thing almost killed you and you want to catch it?" Ricky asked, shocked.

Gold nodded. "I don't know what happened to it to make it that size. Hell, I don't even know how you got here. But wherever this Darmanitan came from, it wasn't treated right. He needs a trainer who can show him right from wrong. I'd like to be that trainer."

Darmanitan began to stir, now normal size. "Well if you're going to do it," Ricky said. "You'd better do it quickly." Gold nodded, throwing his Pokéball. The Fire-Type entered it and the Pokéball sat in the middle of the street, shaking. The town seemed just as silent as before, as Gold and Ricky watched intently. Finally, it stopped. Gold had caught himself a Darmanitan.

"Welcome to the team, buddy. We'll get those guys that did that to you."

"You know, Gold," Ricky said. "There were some guys on the ship I was on earlier that were talking about an 'experiment' here in Veilstone. Then they went through the portal. Do you think they could be related?"

"Describe the ship to me," Officer Jenny said with a bit of urgency.

"It was light gray, had a lot of white and teal on it, and there was a big 'R' design on it."

"Damn. It's them again." She pulled out her Walkie-Talkie. "Source of the Darmanitan attack is Team Revenant."

A voice spoke back to her. "We just got word that they were in Canalave, how could they be there?"

Another voice spoke up as well. "They were just in Pastoria yesterday. You two better not be pulling my chain."

Jenny sighed. "They're everywhere." She put away her communicator and got back on her bike. "Thank you both again for your help. And stay safe!" She started up her bike and drove away.

"Wait!" Ricky called, but it was too late. "Who's Team Revenant?"

"The people you encountered on the ship, who else?"

"No, I mean, what do they want? They can't just want to do these horrible things to Pokémon, can they?"

"I guess you're right," Gold said. "But what can we do?"

"What else?" Ricky said, extending his hand. "We fight them. Both of us are strong trainers, and if we get others, there's no way we can lose. Are you in?"  
Gold looked the other trainer in the eye, down to his hand, and back up. "I'm in." He grabbed Ricky's hand, shaking it. "Whatever it is they're up to, they're going down."


	29. Episode 29: Raina's Battle

Episode 29

"Alright, Raina, use Aqua Jet!" Matt's Water-Type quickly engulfed herself, slamming into Tyler's Pansage with incredible speed. "Great hit!"

"That was fast," Tyler said, as Pansage stood up. "But Wake's Floatzel is a lot faster. Raina's the only one who can even come close to matching his speed."

Matt looked at his Buizel. He knew she could pull it off. "We're not giving up yet. Keep coming at us!"

"Alright. Pansage, use Seed Bomb!" Tyler called. The Grass-Type unleashed multiple large seeds, slamming into Raina and doing a large blow of damage. She was knocked back to Matt, who kneeled down next to her.

"We can do this, girl. We've gotten out of tougher situations before. We won the Hearthome Tournament. We can beat Wake."

Raina was concentrating hard on getting up. A lot of her energy was exhausted, but Raina knew she had to win. She needed to do it for Matt. Raina faced Pansage again, panting. "Bui Bui!" She called.

"Let's do this, Raina! Use Aqua Jet again!" Slightly slower this time, Raina slammed into Pansage, knocking him back.

"Leech Seed!" Tyler said. Small seeds latched onto Raina's fur before sapping some of her health away.

"Keep at it and use Aqu-" Matt cut himself off, noticing something. "Huh?"

The Buizel charged at Pansage before leaping into the air. She smacked him with her two tails, one right after the other. The second blow knocked Pansage to the ground. "That's enough for Pansage," Tyler said, recalling him. "Great battling, Matt."

"Thanks, but…I didn't call that last move."

"Bui!" Raina said, crossing her arms. Matt could tell she was tired, but the spirit to win was still strong in her.

"That looked a lot like a new move: Double Hit to be exact." Tyler explained.

"That's awesome, Raina!" Matt called.

The Buizel shouted again in excitement. Raina was determined to win, but during the last battle with Wake, she didn't stand a chance. His Floatzel was too fast for her to beat, but she couldn't let Matt down, not after all he's done for her. She slowly walked back to Matt and his cousin, showing her confidence, but fearing the confrontation will Wake's Floatzel all the same.

* * *

The water stood still between trainer and Gym Leader, not a single sound moving it. The wrestler's fierce eyes stared intently into the determined eyes of the challenger. Matt had already been defeated once by the massive Leader. He couldn't let it happen again.

"Your battling fires me up, kid. I'm actually glad you lost, that just means I can fight you again!"

"I'm here to win a badge," Matt said. "So I'm making this the last time we face."

"We'll see about that. Even if you win today, we'll battle again in the future. I'm certain of it. Shall we begin?"

Matt nodded with a grin. "Let's do it."

"The battle between Matt Cordia and Crasher Wake will soon begin! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Quagsire, it's your time to shine!"

"Shade, Let's Battle!"

Just like their last battle, the large fish Pokémon faced off against the elegant Grass-Type.

"Battle begin!"

"Shade, use Magical Leaf!" Summoning many glowing leaves, the Roselia fired them at Quagsire.

"Jump into the water, Quagsire!" Crasher Wake called. The Mudfish Pokémon jumped in, but it did nothing to stop the leaves. They cut straight through the water and hit it right on. "Nice hit, but that's not going to stop us any time soon. Quagsire, use Slam!" Wake's Pokémon leapt out of the water, knocking Shade into it.

"Shade, use Magical Leaf!" Once again, dozens of floating leaves shot towards Quagsire, knocking it back into the water as well. The Water-Type faced shade, its happy face turning slightly serious.

"I got you right where I want you. Use Mud Bomb!" Speeding through the water, Quagsire's ball of mud collided with the Roselia, sending her deeper into the water.

"I can't see her…" Matt said, searching the once silent tides.

"Go down and get her, and use Slam!" Wake yelled. After a couple seconds, the two battling Pokémon flew up out of the water before Quagsire slammed Shade into the platform. The Water-Type landed on another one, landing gracefully.

"Shade, can you get up?" Matt called.

"Ro…Roselia…" She said weakly. The Grass-Type faced the Quagsire, not giving up yet.

"Great. Use Magical Leaf!"

"Counter with Mud Bomb!"  
At the same time, Shade's glowing leaves and Quagsire's ball of mud were fired, and at the same time, they collided with the other. Both were knocked into the water, floating on the surface.

"Both Quagsire and Shade the Roselia are unable to battle, this battle is a draw!" The referee shouted.

Matt took his out of the water gently. "Great job out there, Shade. Take a good rest, and you'll be back out fighting in no time."

"Rose. Roselia!" She said as Matt recalled her. Wake did the same

"If that fight was a judge of anything, we're evenly matched, kid. I like that. Let's see who you're bringing to the table next. Go! Gyarados!" Crasher Wake's massive Water/Flying-Type emerged, floating above the platform closest to Wake.

Matt reached for Lunar's Pokéball before pausing. Lunar seemed like the best choice to fight it, but Matt put the Eevee's Pokéball back on his belt, grabbing another. "Flint, Let's Battle!"

To both Tyler and Wake's surprise, Matt's Combusken appeared around the water, at a severe disadvantage against his opponent. "What are you doing, Matt?" Tyler yelled from the bleachers.

"Relax, Tyler," Matt said. "I know what I'm doing." But to be honest, he had no clue how Flint was going to win. "Flint, use Double Kick!"

The Fighting-Type leapt high into the air, the foot colliding with the Gyarados, the second smashing it into the platform below. Typing wise, it didn't do much, but the impact into the platform did a lot more. The Water-Type got up, flying in the air once again.

"A Fire-Type has no place in this gym," Wake said, his arms crossed. "But your Combusken is different. After hearing what he did in that ship fire a few days ago, I was actually looking forward to battling him. Gyarados, use Dragon Rage!" A colorful beam of energy escaped the mouth of Gyarados, rushing into Flint and knocking him over, still out of the water. Matt had to make sure Flint stayed out of there. All that water could spell doom for the Fire-Type.

"Use Double Kick again, Flint!" Like before, Flint leapt into the air using his strong legs.

"Bus!" It yelled as its left foot collided with the flying dragon.

"Use Bite!" Before Flint's right foot could hit Gyarados, the Water-Type clamped down on it, sending a shot of pain through the Combusken's body.

"Hang in there, Flint!" Matt yelled. He had to do something; otherwise, Flint would just be dangling from Gyarados's mouth. "Use Ember in Gyarados's eyes!" The Fire-Type sprayed small bits of fire into the Flying-Type's face, causing it to scream and drop Flint, who landed on a platform. He winced slightly as he landed. "Is your leg okay?" Matt asked.

Flint moved his right leg around slightly. It hurt a bit, but he couldn't give up so quickly. Matt trusted him to beat this foe, and he couldn't let him down now. "Combusken! Bus!"

Matt smiled. "Great. Use Double Kick once more!"

"Gyarados, use Brine!" As Flint flew through the air towards his opponent, his opponent created a cascade of water in midair slamming into Flint and stopping the Double Kick from reaching Gyarados. Flint landed in the water and slowly swam to a platform.

"Hand in there, Flint!" Matt was regretted sending Flint in against Wake's mighty Gyarados. But they had to keep pushing on. Flint was panting hard, his eyes closed. "Find that fire, Flint. Find it burning inside you. Don't let the torrent stop you." Suddenly the Combusken's eyes snapped open. "That's it!"

Flint stood up, tilting his head back and firing a powerful stream of fire straight into the air. "Combusken!"

Wake, Matt, and Tyler watched it with awe. "Flint, was that Flamethrower?" Matt called. The Combusken turned to his trainer and nodded. "Awesome! Let's show him all we can do!"

"Bring it on, kid. I can't wait for this!"

"Use Flamethrower!"

"Dragon Rage!" The two attacks, both powerful, collided between the battlers. The room was in silence save the sound of the attacks themselves. Neither Pokémon wanted to give up. Suddenly, the attacks started to veer off center, and passed by each other to collide with the other Pokémon. Gyarados fell to a platform and Flint fell on his back, both of them out.

"Both Flint the Combusken and Gyarados are unable to battle, this battle is a draw!" Just like that, both Matt and Wake had one Pokémon left.

"Two ties? You don't know how much that fires me up, kid! Let's keep this going strong!" Wake said, recalling Gyarados.

"You got it, Wake." Matt recalled Flint. "You did great out there, buddy. I'm really proud of you." He grabbed his last Pokéball. "Raina, Let's Battle!"

"Floatzel, let's go!"

The two orange Water-Types emerged from their Pokéballs at the same time, landing on the platforms. Wake's Floatzel towered over Raina, but the Buizel's confidence easily filled the room. "Give it your best shot, you two," Crasher Wake said. "I can't wait to see how this will end!"

"Raina, use Aqua Jet!"

"Floatzel, use Swift!" Raina surrounded herself in water, charging at the Floatzel as the stars from Swift scatter around her. She collided with Floatzel, knocking them both into the water. "Now, use Aqua Jet underwater!"

"Dodge it, Raina!" Matt called, but underwater is where Floatzel shined. He slammed into Raina like a bullet, knocking her out of the water and onto a platform, landing hard on her back. Floatzel jumped out of the water, landing on a platform himself. Raina got up, but wasn't backing down yet. "Use Double Hit!"

"Bui!" She called. She slammed both of her tails into Floatzel, knocking it into the water again as she landed on the platform it was standing on.

"Nice hit, kid. Floatzel, use Swift again!" Out from the water emerged dozens of stars, slamming in to Raina and knocking her into the water.

At the same time, both trainers cried "Aqua Jet!" The speed of the two Pokémon was almost unseen as the collision caused them to be shot out of the water. Floatzel landed perfectly on his platform while Raina was slammed into hers.

"Bui…Buizel Bui…" She said, trying to get up.

"You can do it, Raina. We've beaten stronger opponents, like Ricky's Charmeleon, like Gage's Sneasel. We can beat Wake, I know we can!"

Raina clenched her teeth, pain running through her body. Though it hurt, the thrill she felt during this battle was unlike any other. Only one thing could make it better for her, and she had to tell Matt somehow, even if it meant Floatzel getting the same boost. She turned to her trainer and pointed her paw in the air. "Bui!"

"Are you sure?" Matt asked. His Pokémon nodded, and the gleam and determination in her eyes told him she meant it. "Alright, then. Use Rain Dance!" With a shout to the sky, Raina summoned a dozen gray clouds above the battlefield as they started to downpour. The Buizel could already feel herself getting faster.

"What a great way to end this," Wake said, chuckling. "I love it! Floatzel, use Ice Fang!"

"Double Hit!" Small crystals formed on Floatzel's teeth as it sped towards Raina. The smaller Water-Type got in one of the hits on the larger before Floatzel's cold bite hit Raina, sending her back, weakened slightly. Raina looked up at Floatzel. She just had to match his power in order to beat him. She needed to win this great battle for herself just as much as she needed to win it for Matt. "Use Aqua Jet, Raina!"

"You use it as well, Floatzel!"

Both Pokémon shot at each other, colliding in the center of the battlefield as rain poured around them. Just like the last battle, both Pokémon were at a stalemate. "Come on, Raina. Overpower him! I know you can-" Matt was interrupted yet again. "Huh?" Raina began to glow inside the Aqua Jet. She grew twice her size, her tails and head fin extended, and the floatation sac around her neck grew to cover most of her upper body. The glow cleared, and Raina's new form appeared inside the bullet of water. "No way…"  
Raina grinned at her opponent. "Float!" She yelled, suddenly speeding up her Aqua Jet to knock the Floatzel back onto the platform, knocking it out. Raina landed on one next to it, and stood up triumphantly.

"Floatzel is unable to battle, Raina the Bui-er-Floatzel wins! Meaning our victor is Matt Cordia from Oreburgh City!"

"We did it, Raina!"

"Floatzel! Float!" She jumped in the water, quickly using her tails to propel herself back to her trainer. She jumped out and they embraced. They had finally done it.

"I can't believe you evolved…that's awesome!"

"What a great battle!" Crasher Wake yelled, also coming over. "Your Floatzel had so much drive and energy to win that battle. That's why she evolved. She wanted to win more than anyone else in this room."

"Thank you so much for two great battles, Wake."

"That's Crasher Wake. And I should be thanking you. I haven't had a battle like that in a long time. Matt, I need you to do me a favor. Go to Sunnyshore City next. Team Revenant is there, yes, but there's another reason for going there. Volkner, Sunnyshore's Gym Leader, used to have such a spark when it came to battling. None of the other Sinnoh Gym Leaders have seen that spark in him for such a long time. He's young, but he's a great battler. I need you to battle Volkner and get that spark back."

"I'd love to do that, Wake."

"I knew I could count on you. Here, take this Fen Badge. You've earned it." Matt took it in his hand, the new badge gleaming. He put it inside his badge case, now halfway to his goal of eight badges. "Take care, Matt. And stop Team Revenant for me."

The Gym Leader saw Matt and Tyler away with a smile and a wave, as the two cousins left Pastoria City behind, on track to Sunnyshore City, Matt's next Gym Battle, and the headquarters of Team Revenant.


	30. Episode 30: Hero of the Night - Part 1

Here we are, 30 episodes in, and half way done with the story in terms of Gym Battles. I am planning on much more than 60 episodes, however. Anyways, I'd like to present to you the first Pokémon Dimensions Special, which I have split into two parts. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Episode 30

By day, the waters of Route 213 would be filled with children splashing and playing with their Water-Type Pokémon. But at night, the only sound heard was the water hitting the beach.

"I knew we should have gone during the day time," Tyler said. One more night in Pastoria couldn't have hurt, plus there's nowhere to camp with all of this sand." They were on their way to Lake Valor, a halfway point between Pastoria and Sunnyshore.

"Well, we're too far away now. We might as well find some solid ground or a beach house of some sort to rest in," Matt said, shivering slightly. The beach got really cold at night, even if it was really hot in the day. Matt hoped they'd find something soon; otherwise they might freeze out there. They kept on trudging through the sand, not a single soul around.

Tyler rubbed his arms together. The Sinnoh region is the all around coldest in the world, but he wasn't always prepared for air this cold. He noticed a few stray sticks on the beach and had a thought. "Why don't we take a break, Matt? We could have Flint light up some of these sticks and have a fire."

"Great idea," Matt said, releasing his Combusken.

"Busken?" he asked, surprised to be outside his Pokéball at this hour. Tyler brought a large bundle of sticks over and arranged them into a small fire pit.

"Flint, can you use Ember on these sticks?" The Fire-Type nodded, letting out enough flame to ignite the sticks. "Thanks, Flint." Matt took out his Pokéball to return him, but then looked around. It did seem a bit lonely with only Matt and Tyler there. "You know what?" He grabbed the other three Pokéballs on his belt. "Come on out, everyone. Enjoy the nice fire."

Tyler smiled. "You guys come out, too." The two cousin's Pokémon all emerged together, gathering around the fire. Thinking about it now, Tyler was glad he and Matt left Pastoria at night rather than waiting for the next day. With all of the stress that Team Revenant was causing for both him and Matt, he was glad to see his cousin relax for once. He was always trying to rush everything instead of enjoying the little things in life.

"Vee! Eevee!" Lunar cried, jumping onto Matt's lap.

"Hey, buddy. You enjoying the fire?"

"Vee!" He looked up to his trainer with a smile, snuggling into his lap. The Normal-Type was tired, but glad to be able to spend time with Matt like this.

The young trainer looked around to his other Pokémon. Flint and Luxray seemed to be basking in the warmth of the fire while Shade and Pansage kept their distance. Raina jumped into the water, enjoying a nice soak. "How's the water, Raina?" Matt called.

"Float! Floatzel!" She called back, floating on her back.

"Oy, is someone out there?" A voice called. Matt and Tyler turned to see a stout silhouette carrying a small flame.

Lunar stood up immediately, barring his teeth at the figure and taking a defensive stance. "Relax, Lunar, I'm sure he's friendly," Matt told him.

As the figure got closer, Matt and Tyler could make out a small man with a cane and a lantern. "Ahoy you two!"

"Hi there," Tyler said, standing up. "My name's Tyler, this is my cousin, Matt."

"I don't get many people on the beach at this hour. It's nice to see some lovers of the night out and about!"

"I wouldn't really say that. We're on our way to Lake Valor, and we sort of got caught out here," Tyler said.

"Well, either way, it's nice to have some company. The name's Conner. I run a small lighthouse just across the beach. Would you boys and your Pokémon like to join me there for the evening?"

"We'd love to," Matt said. The fire had warmed him up, but he was ready to get out of the cold air.

"Wonderful. Follow me." Conner turned to walk to the other side of the sand. Matt and Tyler motioned for their Pokémon to follow them, but Lunar hesitated, growling slightly at the older man.

"What's wrong, Lunar?"  
"Vee!" He barked.

"Calm down, Lunar. It's ok." Matt didn't know what Lunar was getting so worked up about, but the Eevee followed along.

They reached Conner's lighthouse around twenty minutes later. It wasn't very large, but it did its job to keep ships away from the shore. Conner opened the creaky door, revealing a couple small beds and one larger one, along with a staircase which lead to the bulb. "Make yourselves at home. It ain't much, but it's home."

"Thanks again, sir," Tyler said, recalling Luxray and Pansage. They'd have a much more comfortable sleep inside their Pokéballs. Matt started to do the same, recalling Flint, Shade, and Raina. He was about to recall Lunar, when an aqua blue figure began to move down the stairs.

"Porrr!" It said, sitting down when it reached the bottom. It was a catlike Pokémon with a long fish tail and fins behind its head.

"Oh, that's Val. She's one of my Pokémon." Conner explained, scratching behind the Vapoeron's ears. "This job can get pretty lonely, so it's nice to have someone to keep me company all the way out here."

Matt smiled. Conner was a very simple man, and he could tell Val meant a lot to him. He went to recall Lunar again, but the Eevee had disappeared.

"Vee! Eevee!" Matt heard. His Eevee was jumping around the Vaporeon, trying to get her attention. It reminded Matt of the way he acted around Rhonda's Espeon back when he first met him. Val smiled at the Eevee cutely, her tail swaying.

"Ok, I guess you can stay out for the night." Excited, Lunar sat down next to the Water-Type happily. The three humans sat on their respective beds facing each other.

"So, what be your goal?" Conner asked, hanging his lantern on the wall.

"Our goal?" Matt asked.

"Aye. Who are you, exactly? What are you striving for?"

"Well," Matt started. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer who's aiming to get all 8 badges and enter the Sinnoh League."

"Sounds like a good goal for a young kid like you. What about you there, uh…"

"Tyler." He couldn't believe Conner already forgot his name. "I'm trying to do some research for Professor Rowan on Legendary Pokémon."

"Legendary Pokémon you say? You know, I'm quite interested in them myself. 'Specially those two, uh what are they…Crescelia and Darkrai."

"Oh, those two, I've heard of them. They're the Pokémon of the moon, right?"

"Aye. They represent my love of the night. I'd love to see them myself some day."

Tyler looked at a clock on the wall, it was 11. "It's getting pretty late. We should probably go to sleep soon."

"You boys go ahead. I'll be up at the light if you need me." The lighthouse man walked up the steps, leaving Matt and Tyler alone. Lunar was curled up next to Val in the corner, if lighthouses had corners that is.

"I still think it was nice of him to let us stay here," Matt said, lying out on his bed.

"I do, too." Tyler looked around to make sure Conner wasn't there and then spoke in a softer voice. "But what do you think Lunar was getting so worked up over on our way here?"

"I don't know. He's pretty protective of me around people he doesn't trust. He was that way with Wake at first, too. He seems fine now, though." Matt couldn't help but smile seeing his Eevee with Conner's Vaporeon.

"Yeah, you're right." Tyler lay on his bed as well, closing his eyes. They'd set out in the morning anyways.

* * *

Conner lit his pipe looking out into the ocean. It was his duty as lighthouse tender to make sure there was no one stranded on the beaches at night. He didn't think those two would cause much trouble. _Why did it have to be tonight of all nights_? He thought to himself. Val was sleeping downstairs with that boy's Eevee, so he was alone at the moment. In a few short hours, however, the moon would come straight into view of his window. He figured the boys would want to see the amazing spectacle the moon had to offer him, so he'd wake them up when the time came. A bit of ash fell onto the floor as he took another puff. Conner was a lover of the night; he thrived in it. He sat the next few hours in silence with his light, just as he had many times before.

As the hour neared, Conner's light came closer and closer to the moon. It was about to be just right. He went down to wake Matt and Tyler. "I got something I wanna show you two. Follow me up here." The cousins hesitantly and groggily followed Conner up the steps to the light. "You see the full moon way up there? The full moon is when Crescelia comes out, sharing her goodwill." He took a puff on his pipe. "Once every year, Crescelia appears at this point in the Sinnoh region when a full moon arises. This is that time. You boys are about to experience a great sight."

"We get to see Crescelia?!" Tyler shouted, ecstatic. He quickly ran down the stairs and grabbed his journal. "I can't wait to see this!"

"What's that, son?" Conner asked.

"Oh, this is the Professor's Journal. I'm filling it with as much information as I can about Legendary Pokémon and their habits."

"Sounds wonderful! Well, you shouldn't be waiting much longer. Look there."

The light of the lighthouse finally reached the moon, lighting it even brighter than before. The moon began to sparkle very brightly. Soon, a pink and yellow Pokémon emerged from it, flying around above the ocean gracefully.

"Is that her?" Matt asked, now wide awake.

"Indeed. She's beautiful, ain't she?" As she flew, sparkles followed, creating a beautiful image in front of the night sky.

"She sure is." The young trainer stared in awe along with the other two in the room. "Is she getting closer?" Tyler was jotting stuff down in the journal, but he didn't want to take his eyes off of her.

"Aye," Conner said, standing up. He walked behind the cousins, grabbing a rope.

"What's the rope for?" Tyler asked as Crescelia got extremely close to the lighthouse. Her crescent-shaped head peered into the structure, as she let out a soft cry of joy.

"Oh, nothing too important," The lighthouse man said, opening the lighthouse window. With a swift motion, Conner threw the rope across Crescelia, pulling it tight around her elegant body. Her cry of joy turned into one of pain, the rope digging into her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tyler cried, standing up quickly.

"I'm catching her, what does it look like?" He pulled it tighter, making sure she couldn't leave.

"You can't just tie her up like that! It's hurting her!" He set the journal down and ran over to try and free the rope from his hands. The two men struggled over it. "Matt! Cut the rope!"

Forgetting in his panic that he had a Combusken who could easily burn the rope or a Roselia who could cut it with Razor Leaf, Matt searched the area around the light looking for a sharp object to cut the rope with. He finally found a small saw and ran to the rope, but before he could get near it, it was knocked out of his hands by a stream of water. "Por! Poreon!" He heard. Matt turned to see Conner's Vaporeon standing at the top of the steps, posed for battle.

"I've been waiting for this moment for so long!" Conner yelled, struggling to keep the rope from Tyler. "Finally, I have the night all to myself!"

"Not yet you don't!" Tyler yelled back.

"W-What happened to Lunar?" Matt said to the Vaporeon. It simply grinned before shooting another water gun to knock Matt to the floor.

"Atta girl!" Conner shouted. "Freeze him now!"

"What?!" Tyler cried. He watched as an Ice Beam escaped Vaporeon's mouth, covering Matt in a block on ice.

"What are you gonna do? Save your cousin, or save Crescelia?" The lighthouse owner chuckled.

Tyler gritted his teeth. He knew what Conner wanted him to do and there was no way out of it. Unless… "Lunar! Help! Matt's in trouble!" There was no response.

"Ha. That Eevee's not coming up here. Val froze him as soon as you two left them alone. Give up, kid!"

"Never! I can't let you do this to Crescelia!"

"Let go! Or I'll have her freeze you, too!"

Tyler looked to the Vaporeon, who grinned almost evilly as she approached him. With a sigh, he let loose his grip on the rope, allowing Conner to push him away. "At last! I've got you!" The lighthouse man closed in on Crescelia. "Don't worry, dear. I won't hurt you." He caressed the side of the terrified Psychic-Type's head, pulling the rope tighter. "At last…the night is mine!"

"You don't need to capture Crescelia to do that!" Tyler shouted. "Without her, there'll be no moon for the other people in the world!"

"Oh, much more than that. Without Crescelia, the moon cannot cycle. If it cannot cycle, then night will last forever!" He chuckled again. Tyler couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man was insane! He got up and started to kick at the ice surrounding his cousin, trying to break it. "Val, stop him!" But before the Water-Type could do anything, Crescelia let out a loud, piercing cry that made everyone in the room cringe, even Matt inside the ice. "What the hell was that?!"

Suddenly, the lighthouse went out, leaving everyone in the dark. Tyler cried out, "Hello?" Another piercing cry responded, this one more masculine. From the darkness, a white and red figure appeared. Tyler could just make it out. Standing before them was Darkrai.

"Ha! The other one's here, too!" Conner pulled out another rope from his pocket and was getting ready to toss it, when Darkrai shot a large orb of darkness at him, causing him to fall to the ground. He shot another at Crescelia and Val, knocking them out cold. Tyler looked at the Legendary in awe, before the Dark-Type rose over the lighthouse and engulfed it all in a black sphere, causing all its inhabitants to fall into an inescapable void.


	31. Episode 31: Hero of the Night - Part 2

Episode 31

The small Eevee's eyes opened slowly as he heard a commotion. He was sleeping soundly next to Val, a beautiful Vaporeon. He got up and looked up the stairs, where he heard his trainer yelling. Quickly, he got up, but a blue figure stopped him in his path. "Vee?" He said as Val's evil grin stared him down.

"Va! Vaporeon!" She yelled. Lunar stood back, shocked by Val's animosity. And he thought…they had something special…Before Lunar could say any more, the Water-Type let out an Ice Beam, freezing the Eevee in place. He could still hear through the ice, but could barely see up the stairs. All he could see was that Matt and Tyler were fighting that strange man.

Lunar's heart sank. He had tried to tell Matt this whole time that the strange man was evil, but he wouldn't listen! If only he hadn't fallen for that Vaporeon…If his ears could droop, they would have. Suddenly, Lunar noticed another block of ice forming, this time around his trainer. "Vee! Eevee!" He tried to yell, but his icy prison prevented sounds from escaping his throat. They're trying to hurt Matt and he can't do anything about it…

Without warning, darkness started to surround Lunar. He could see it engulf the entire lighthouse, and suddenly he got very sleepy. Unable to stay awake, the Eevee drifted off, succumbing to the same void as the others upstairs.

* * *

Lunar woke up in a strange, dark world. He stood up, shaking himself off. At least he wasn't frozen anymore. He was on what seemed to be a field of black grass with a purple sky. Suddenly, a bolt of white light pierced the sky, creating a loud boom. The Eevee's tail went between his legs, shivering. He had to find Matt, whether he was in this strange place or not.

* * *

Tyler's head pounded as he sat up in the black grassy field. Matt and Conner were right next to him, the former now unfrozen. "Where the hell are we?" He said, his hand holding his aching head.

Matt stood up quickly. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't have tried to capture Crescelia like that!" He shouted at Conner.

"Oh, she would have easily been mine if you two weren't there! You could have witnessed a glorious sight!"

"You were torturing her! How is that glorious?"

"If I had her, night would be forever! The moon would always shine for me!"

Tyler's head continued to pound as the lighthouse man and his cousin bickered on about whose fault it was. He'd chime in, but he couldn't even hear them right now. He remembered the Vaporeon being with them, but he didn't see her at all. Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder shook the ground, and the figure they saw just before entering this place appeared before them, floating. Suddenly, Tyler's mouth opened and began to speak. "You three humans who have disturbed the being known as Crescelia: I have come to stop your quarrel. My name is Darkrai. I am speaking to you through one of your own, and as soon as I am done, he will be back to normal.

"Crescelia is trapped in this world, and it is your duty to find her. Since she was in a captured state before entering the void, by my own law she must be in one here. However, only the one with the strongest desire can break the cage that traps her here. I am aware that two of the three of you have pure hearts. Use that purity to drive you to save my partner Crescelia. I beg of you." Tyler blinked a couple of times, both his headache and Darkrai having vanished.

"You two kids aren't stopping me from getting to her first! I will have the night to myself!" Conner shouted, running in a random direction.

"Could you hear any of that?" Matt asked Tyler, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"I could. Let's go." Tyler and Matt ran together. If they came across Conner, they could take him on more easily together than by themselves.

"How do we know where Crescelia's supposed to be?" Matt said, panting. They had been running for a bit, but were still moving quickly. Any chance to prevent Conner from getting to Crescelia, they'd take. Another bolt of lightning lit up the purple sky.

Tyler looked at the bolt, as it seemed to linger after a few seconds. The bolt seemed to be larger at the bottom than at the top. It almost looked like… "An arrow!"

"What?"

"The thunder! It's shaped like an arrow. Crescelia must be there!"

"Are you sure?"

Tyler paused. "It's our only lead right now. You have to trust me on this, Matt."

Matt stopped as well. "Let's go." They ran towards the bolt, trying to get there before Conner could.

Lunar slowly walked through the field, every flash scaring him. He had to find someone, anyone, even that awful lighthouse man. "Vee! Eevee!" He yelled.

"Por?" He heard a voice he didn't want to hear. He turned to his right to see Val standing there, just as confused as him. "Va! Vaporeon!"

The Eevee positioned himself in a battling stance, facing the Water-Type. After she froze him, he was weary of what she was going to do. "Eevee! Vee Vee!"

The Vaporeon approached Lunar with a nonthreatening demeanor, trying to explain to him that she wanted to find Conner. The Normal-Type wanted nothing more to do with him, but it might be the only way he could be reunited with his trainer. They decided to team up, and look for their humans together. Lunar felt a strange mix of feelings. He was glad he and Val could be friendly, but there was still a hostile vibe between them. He had to watch his back. Another crack of lightning hit, scaring Lunar once more, but he kept on. He had to find Matt.

* * *

The black grass and purple sky seemed to almost meld together as the two cousins ran towards the bolt. It kept getting bigger and bigger, but it seemed like they were running for hours. For all they know, they could have been. Finally, a figure appeared over the horizon, a large cage with a pink and yellow Pokémon inside. "There she is!" Matt cried. "Good thinking, Tyler!'

"We're not done yet. We still need to break the cage before Conner shows up."

Matt ran up to the cage and slammed into it with his shoulder. No use. Tyler did the same, but it didn't break. "Let's see what Flint can do!" Matt reached for his Combusken's Pokéball, but it wasn't there. He had taken it off in the lighthouse. "I don't have my Pokéballs!"

"Neither do I!"

"That means…The only one who can break the cage…is Conner."

Tyler's eyes widened. "No! Don't say that, we have to break the cage! We can't let Conner win!"

One after another, Tyler and Matt both slammed into the cage until a bruise was left on their shoulders. Panting, Matt said, "It's no use…We have to wait until…Conner breaks it."

"Why I'd be happy to, gentlemen." The cousins turned to see the lighthouse man standing there. He slowly walked up to Crescelia's cage. "At last…The night is mine…I will no longer be alone…"

Matt wanted so badly to tackle Conner to the ground right now, but Tyler stopped him. The older cousin faced Conner and spoke. "The night is not for you! It's for everyone. Crescelia deserves to be free! What good will she do trapped in your lighthouse?"

"Oh, she'll do plenty well, my boy. The full moon will always be with me, and night will always happen!"

"Don't you understand that day will still come? Even if the moon isn't there to cycle, daybreak will still appear. You can't stop that!"

The lighthouse man turned around. "You don't know what it's like to be trapped in a hunk o' metal for thirty years! You don't know the torture of having everyone stare at you like an outcast! Night is all I have!" With a large heave, Conner punched the cage holding Crescelia. It shuddered, causing the Psychic-Type to squeal, but the cage stayed sound. "What?!"

Tyler put his hand to his head again, the headaches returning. A flash of lightning crashed right on to the cage, and Darkrai appeared. Tyler's mouth opened again, the words of Darkrai coming out of them. "None of you have the desire strong enough to break the cage. There is another being with that capability in the Void with us. Their desire is the key to opening the cage."

"Ah, to hell with ye!" Conner pulled out something from his pocket. "Time to hold up my end of the deal!"

"What deal?" Matt called, angry.

"A group of men came to me. They told me I could have whatever I wanted in exchange for something valuable to them. I told them I wanted the moon, so night could be forever." Conner revealed the white and teal design of what seemed to be a remote. "They asked me…for him!" He pressed a button on the remote, sending a signal to Darkrai. He let out an excruciating cry, making everyone, especially Tyler, cringe from the volume. Darkrai's eyes suddenly turned bright white, no soul from them. "Did it work?"

"Did what work?" Matt asked, now nervous. "What did you do to him?!"

"Darkrai, use Dark Pulse!" Conner shouted. The Dark-Type Legendary let out a ring of black energy more powerful than anything they had encountered before. It hit Matt and Tyler squarely, knocking them over. Matt cringed as the energy hit his scar, causing even more pain.

"Why are you working for Team Revenant?!" Matt shouted. That remote was undoubtedly from them.

"They promised me the night! Glorious night!"

Tyler got up. "How many times to I have to say it? No matter how long night lasts, day will always come next!"

"That's where you're wrong! Darkrai, use Shadow Ball on the young one!"

Darkrai charged up a large ball of dark energy before firing it at Matt. The trainer braced for impact, but it never came. Another, smaller Shadow Ball knocked it out of the way, making it hit the ground. Matt's eyes opened to see his Eevee running towards him.

"Lunar, how did you get here?!" Matt cried, both confused and surprised to see him. Then he remembered: He had never returned Lunar in the lighthouse. "Never mind. I am so glad to see you!"

"Vee! Eevee!" Lunar jumped into Matt's arms, the two embracing after what seemed like forever apart. The Normal-Type looked into his trainer's eyes. He had finally found him!

"Aw, how cute…" Conner said sarcastically. "Cut that ceremony short, Darkrai. Use Dark Pulse!"

As Darkrai let out its attack, Lunar jumped away from Matt, absorbing the entire attack and leaving his trainer unharmed. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt his trainer. Weakened, Lunar stood up. The determined look in his eyes stared down the hypnotized Darkrai, before the small Normal-Type started to glow. The three humans their stared in awe, as Lunar's ears and tail grew round, long, and pointed, his height increasing to double what it was before. His figure became much more lithe, but still able to take a hit. The glowing cleared, and an Umbreon stood in the former Eevee's place.

"Bre! Umbreon!"

"Lunar, you evolved!" Even though Matt was facing down his possible death, he couldn't help but feel accomplished that he evolved.

"You think an evolution is going to stop Darkrai? Use Shadow Ball!"

Matt thought to what Darkrai had said about the cage. Another being with the desire… "Lunar, attack the cage with Shadow Ball!"

The Umbreon dodged Darkrai's attack before sending the same attack at Crescelia's cage. It shattered completely, freeing the Psychic-Type. With glee, she flew into the air. Tyler shouted up to her, "Crescelia! We need you to free Darkrai somehow!" She seemed to understand, using an attack that looked like Signal Beam on it. The attack knocked Darkrai to the ground, as well as knocking it out of the trance the remote had on him.

"Oh no you don't!" Conner could tell that Darkrai was thinking on his own again and aimed the remote at the Dark-Type again. Before he could press the button, a quick stream of water knocked it out of his hands, causing it to smash to the ground and break. "No! My remote!" Everyone turned to see Val, the source of the water. "But…But why would you do that?"

"Por! Vaporeon!" The Water-Type shouted. Tears filled her eyes.

Tyler turned to Conner. "You say you're lonely. You say the night is all you have. In your blind quest to keep the night to yourself…You forgot about Val. Just earlier, you said she meant a lot to you. Where did that go?"

Conner looked to the smashed remote, then to Tyler, then to Darkrai, and then to Val. "You just don't understand."

Anger filled Tyler's blood. "Do you know how much that Vaporeon has done for you? Attacked humans? Kept you company for this long? She loves you, Conner. You're her trainer. Be one, not some ass who forgets those who support them."

Suddenly, the purple sky began to collapse. Darkrai created a small portal, which led to the lighthouse. He used Tyler's voice to speak one last time. "I cannot support this void much longer. Quick! Go through the portal and you'll wake up in your world!" Crescelia immediately flew through, Matt and Lunar just behind her. After recovering from being used as a speaker, Tyler started towards the Portal, but paused when Conner wasn't coming.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Why should I?" The lighthouse man shouted. "This place is perfect! It's always night here. I can be happy…"

"This place is going to collapse on you if you don't hurry!" Val started to run towards the portal, too. Tyler was almost through it, but paused again; Conner wasn't moving. He looked to Val, who couldn't decide whether to go through the portal or not. The Vaporeon looked up to Tyler, and with tears in her eyes, walked towards Conner. She was staying with him. Before Tyler could do anything else, Darkrai appeared and shoved Tyler through. Everything was white except for the portal, which closed before his eyes.

He sprang awake in the lighthouse. It was pitch black, but he could see everyone around him clearly. Matt and Lunar, now an Umbreon, were no longer frozen. Crescelia was floating, while Tyler helped get the rope off of her. He looked to the body of Conner and the body of Val. Both should awake if they stepped through the portal. But after ten minutes of silence waiting, it was clear neither of them were coming back.

"What happened to them?" Matt asked, the rest of the room silent.

"They didn't make it to the portal in time." He didn't have to say anything else.

The blackness surrounding the lighthouse faded away, and Matt, Tyler, Crescelia, and Lunar were greeted with the start of a sunrise. Crescelia flew into the air, her time there was gone. She let out a cry, flying through the air, almost as if she was waving goodbye to the two cousins. It was uplifting to see after what they had just gone through. Matt and Tyler were getting ready to leave the lighthouse after watching the sunrise for a bit, when Darkrai appeared before them one last time.

Tyler nodded, giving Darkrai permission to use his voice again. "Thank you, Matt, Tyler, and Lunar. You have all proven yourselves in a time of great peril. The two who did not make it back are safe. However, they will never again awake in this world. They will remain in the void where you last saw them, forever." The Dark-Type floated to their bodies, engulfing them in a black sphere, transporting them somewhere else. "I bid you farewell. I hope we may meet again." With that, Darkrai vanished, leaving Matt and Tyler alone.

"Breon?" Matt turned to see his Umbreon beside him, his ruby eyes looking up at him. The trainer bent down.

"Thanks for saving us, Lunar." Matt sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you didn't trust Conner. We could have avoided that whole mess if I had just listened…"

"Bre! Umbreon!" Lunar said with a smile on his face. He wasn't mad at Matt. He was just happy that he was safe. That's what mattered.

With the sun rising, Matt and Tyler left the now abandoned lighthouse behind. Just ahead of them: Lake Valor, and after that, Sunnyshore City, where Team Revenant was awaiting them.


End file.
